Egyptian Soul
by YuNique337
Summary: A dangerous lover from Yami's past is resurrected by a mystery person and plans to bring back the shadow games with Yami's help. Yami is kidnapped and brought to Egypt-UPDATED- SECRETS REVEALED! R&R please!
1. Familiar Faces, Familiar Things

A/N-Hey! I wrote this fic a while ago before I ever got my account on fanfiction, it's not finished yet but I have a lot of chapters ready to post...it just depends on how people like it...if it does well I'll post extra chapters and if it's doin bad-DELETE! So please R&R I PROMISE it gets more exciting after the first few chapters...and yes, Yami does get hurt in this fic multiple times so warning to people who don't wanna see it:-P   
Basically this fic doesn't really have a specific time when it happened but one thing that is important is the none of Yugi's friends or his grandfather know about Yami at this time. It's gonna be rated PG-13 even though there isn't anything bad except later there is a bit of starvation and kidnapping and all that good stuff so I'm just puttin it IN CASE. So please no flames and enjoy!!   
Disclaimer- Nothin! I own nothin but the plot!  
***  
1. Familiar Faces, Familiar Things  
The hot sands wore away at the marble of the temple. The sun bore down and the slaves were busy fanning Pharaoh Yami in his golden chair. Creatures were chiseled into his ancient throne and they seemed to watch over him as he sat majestically, peering out over his city. Silently he gestured for the slaves to bring in the criminals. This had been going on for an hour. The slaves would bring in a group of men and if they were guilty, it was the executioner for them, or whatever they deserved. Yami yawned and waved his hand. Four men were lead it, dressed lavishly in many colored robes, green, red, lavender and sapphire. They were well built, large and muscular. Yami looked with disgust on the four men. They were always scheming, running around in the middle of the night, making plans with one another. Awhile ago he had discovered their plan. It was about time the palace guard caught them. His blood boiled as he thought about what they had been planning.  
"What of these, my lord?" asked one of the servants who held the chains of the mages.  
Yami looked at each of the mages.   
"Cast them into the desert. If they believe they have the cunning to bring down my palace, MY kingdom around me, then they must have the cunning to find their way through the searing sands. Bring them into the dunes. Leave them there and they can scheme together- to die, or to live."  
"If you are wise you will resign from Pharaoh, Yami," said the mage with the sapphire robe.  
"We will not back away. Death cannot hold us captive," laughed the green mage.  
"You, are a different story," spoke the red mage.  
"For years we have plotted to take you down from the inside of YOUR palace to bring you off your high horse. We WILL rule this domain, Yami. You are not strong eno-"   
"SILENCE!" shouted Yami. "I have heard enough. Your little schemes mean nothing to me. Traitors! Go to die in the desert."  
At this the slaves lead the mages away.  
****  
  
"Yugi..."  
The darkness and peacefulness of sleep left Yugi's eyes and they fluttered open. His brain tried to start itself up. Why was he up so early?  
"YUGI!"  
"What? What!?" Yugi shot straight up. The warmth from the blankets left him. His body felt chilled and he immediately shot back under like a mouse who sees a cat after emerging from it's hole.  
"School!! It's 7 in the morning. Get outta bed!" Grandpa leaned over him with a stern face.   
"Sorry grandpa," said Yugi. He watched as his old grandpa left the room, then slid under the covers.   
/Yami?/ He didn't want to wake Yami from his spirit room if he didn't have to but usually he was up early. Thinking. After no answer came from the millennium puzzle or Yugi's mind he called out again.  
/Yami? Are you up yet? It's 7 o'clock! You can come out if you want to, Grandpa's not around.../  
There was still no answer. Yugi shrugged and then got out of bed, dragging the blankets with him. It was chilly in the morning, always the same. Yugi made his way to the dresser and changed into his regular blue jacket and pants with his white shirt. They smelled fresh and he put them on slowly. He fastened some buckles around his neck and on his shirt cuffs and sat down on the bed to put on his socks. Suddenly he felt the strange cold which came everytime Yami was about to switch places with him.  
/Hey, don't switch on me! I'm hungry, Yami./  
//Aibou, can I come out?//  
/Sure, what's wrong?/  
//Don't worry...//  
Yugi closed his eyes as the millennium puzzle started to rotate slowly. The light shone out of the hieroglyphs and Yugi's body became unrecognizable to himself...it was tingling all over. Suddenly, Yami stood in front of him. He was clad in a black jacket and pants with tons of buckles. His hair was like normal, his golden bangs in his eyes.  
"Yami!" Yugi sat on the bed. "Tell me what's up."  
"Nothing, aibou, I was just tired of the old spirit room."  
Yugi raised an eyebrow. He wouldn't believe that in a million years. "Are you lying to me?" Yami frowned but Yugi kept begging.  
"Please tell me? Before breakfast?"   
With a sigh, Yami spoke. "I have a strange feeling in my heart. It is like some veil was placed on it. I feel...weak."  
"Weak?"  
"Yes...something just doesn't feel right. Like somewhere, something is happening that shouldn't be. Aibou, watch out, alright? I'm going to go think..."   
At that Yami disappeared quickly inside the Millennium puzzle. He had dreamed of that day...that day as the pharaoh... Yugi wondered why he was acting strangely. Yami hardly ever said he felt "weak." He hated being less than the best.  
****  
School, even though Yugi was late, went well. Everything was sunny and so was everyone. Yugi completely forgot about what Yami had said. And today, no one even asked him about his Millennium Puzzle. He had easily whooped some seniors at playing Duel Monsters. Even without Yami playing for him he knew every strategy that they would pull. Practice makes perfect, Yugi's grandpa had always said and Yugi knew every rule in the book and had had enough practice for a lifetime. But somehow, he figured, he would never be able to beat Yami if they were matched together. He was just too good.   
After school, Yugi sat on the stone steps and waited for his friends. Suddenly, Joey and Tea emerged from the double doors. Bakura followed them, walking slowly and looking around with his usual detached gaze. "Yugi! Yuge!" shouted Joey. "Let's go!" They were getting ready to go to the park and play frisbee with Tristan and his friends. Yugi couldn't wait. The sun was shining, the leaves on the trees were green, little lavender flowers bloomed on the bushes. The air smelled sweet and it was the perfect day besides a small chill. Tea had the frisbee and tossed it to Yugi. He caught it and laughed.   
The gang walked to the park and met Tristen sitting on an old beat up bench. "Hey, no one else decided to come...It's just us. I hear it might rain today so they ditched. Stinks that rain could wreck a day like this." Tristan frowned.   
"That's ok, we'll still have a fun game," said Tea. Yugi was preoccupied with Yami. He hadn't said anything for quite a long time. Suddenly, he felt his body start to tingle. The warmth was being sucked from him and now he was inside his spirit room. /Yami...you're gonna play frisbee?/   
//I'm gonna try.//  
Yami stepped up to Tristan. In his deeper voice he laughed, "Ready to play?"  
The group ran onto the field and picked teams. Soon the frisbee was thrown. Tea caught it and tossed it to her teammate, Tristan. Then she ran forward. The teams were uneven but it was Tristen, Tea and Bakura versus Yami and Joey.   
It was an hour into the game and Yami was dominating the field. Joey groaned as he tried to keep up with him. Like a dashing condor he swooped and dove and grabbed every pass, and intercepted every other one. Yugi, who had been talking to Yami a bit from inside, thought to himself, "that must be why they call him the king of games." Yami's team was leading 6-0 and Bakura had just about given up. But Tea had the pass and she had convinced herself not to lose to the other guys. Joey ran forward and tried to intercept a pass thrown by Tea to Bakura, but he missed. The frisbee whooshed into Bakura's grasp and he got ready to pass to Tristan. The white disk spun towards him. Yami jumped with a burst of energy and snatched the frisbee. Suddenly, in mid flight, his vision went black and his body stiffened. His legs collapsed under him and he thudded onto the ground. "Yugi!" shouted Joey. Yami groaned in pain and lay back in the grass. "Are you ok, Yugi?!" asked a frantic Bakura.   
"I, I, I'm not sure...I just..." answered Yami. Tea leaned down and looked at Yami's legs. "Nothing looks bad, maybe you moved the wrong way..." Yami heard a noise and looked around on instinct. His mind was sharpened and his senses were flying. He saw a young woman sitting on a bench, close by. She looked up, locked her eyes on the group and then stood up and walked away. Her flowing black hair was rippling like snakes. The golden bangles on her arms jingled. Yami watched her go.   
"Yugi?" Tea snapped her fingers in front of his face.   
"I'm fine. I think I just turned the wrong way," Yami reassured her after snapping back into reality. That black hair...those golden charms...that girl...Tristan helped Yami to his feet. Yugi, inside the soul room, knew Yami was hurt. He couldn't feel the pain from the fall but his room grew hot.  
/Yami? Are you alright?/   
//I tripped.//   
/Is that all?/   
//I'm fine.//   
/There is something you arent telling me! Yami please dont hide it. The room got hot. Are you hurt?/   
//I'm FINE.//  
/Please?/  
No answer. Yugi irritably leaned back in his room and sighed. Yami could be so stubborn sometimes.   
  
***  
That night was a quiet one.Yugi sat in the kitchen with a steaming hot bowl of macaroni in front of him. His grandpa had left that morning and would be gone for a week or two. He had to take care of some business in another part of Japan. Grandpa had trusted Yugi to keep an eye on the shop and mind himself. But Yugi wasn't ALL by himself. Yami sat beside him in the other chair and was looking outside. The tint of the sky matched his eyes. A cool breeze blew by the window and rustled the plants on the windowsill. A dog barked from next door.  
"Want some?" Yugi offered the pot of pasta to Yami. Yami shrugged it off.  
"TV?" Yami again shook his head. Yugi, irritated with the fact that his dark half came out just to be stubborn, flicked on the t.v. anyway. Yami looked over and then faced the window again. "Is your leg better?" asked Yugi. Yami looked at the floor and then answered quietly, "Yes, aibou. I'm sorry."  
"Sorry for what?"   
"Sorry....for...being.."  
"No, it's ok." It really wasn't ok though, thought Yugi. He was still dying to know what this "weakness" was all about. There had to be more to the story.  
Yugi flipped through the channels until he landed on the news. A headline flashed quickly about a car accident. Yugi sighed. "Nothing good." Just as he was about to switch the channel Yami piped up.  
"Hold it, what's this?" Yami was intently watching the screen. A reporter was standing next to a young women, talking to her about her "recent findings."   
"-here live in the Ancient History Museum with archeologist Cara Far. Ms. Far, are these your recent findings?" The young woman on the t.v. smiled politely and pointed down to a table covered with ancient artifacts. A bowl, a ring, multiple silver bracelets and a spearhead were just a few. "Yes, I have been digging in the ancient cites out in Egypt. Wonderful weather. This is just a few of the things that my...team...unearthed. You can come and see them here at the museum."  
Yugi interrupted, "You think she's pretty?"  
Without taking his eyes of the screen, Yami asked, "Who?"  
"The one with the black hair and the bracelets."  
"Her...oh.."  
"Do you?"  
"She is, interesting."  
"Yami, that is really lame! When you think someone is pretty you don't say that they are "interesting." For some millennium spirit you sure aren't superior on the love thing."  
"I never said she was pretty."  
"Still..."  
Yami didn't answer. He just watched the screen. Then the commercials came on. "I want to see those artifacts."   
"What's so special about them?" mumbled Yugi between bites of macaroni. "Wait...wait...they are from Egypt right? And so are you! Is that why?" Yami actually didn't know why he wanted to see them. Just, something about them, or the girl? was drawing him to them. He couldn't understand _what_ exactly but his mind just told him that this was something that he should see.  
Yami bit his lip. "Not exactly."  
***  
Later that night, Yugi took a quick shower and changed into his pj's. Grandpa wouldn't be home for a while so Yami was free of the Millennium Puzzle. He was restless, constantly moving, turning the t.v. on, and then flicking it off. Yugi crawled into bed and turned on his radio. It felt good not to have the feeling that another spirit was inside you. There was no doubt in Yugi's mind that he cared about Yami, he'd just rather keep his thoughts to himself sometimes. Taking his Millennium Puzzle off he placed it on the bedside and patted it. Below him, Yami paced in the kitchen. His mind was tired from thought. //I know I have seen that girl. In the park...and before...// Yami sat down and ran his fingers through his hair. A rebellious bang drifted into his sight and he flicked it away. Sighing, he leaned back and tried to sleep. The couch was much more comfortable but Yami needed to get up as soon as possible if anything happened. He knew he was being silly but he couldn't help thinking that something was going to pop out of a corner or scare him half to death. His mind started to relax as he inhaled the sweet air from the open window. Soon he couldn't keep his eyes open. From upstairs, Yugi heard the movement stop and sighed with relief. He rolled over and faced his window, looking out at the star speckled sky and the dark street. The tired yellow glow of the street light made the street look peaceful. Suddenly Yugi saw something move near the bright light of the moon. A dark shape swooped through the bluish clouds. It spun up and down and over the tree tops, then returned to the sky. Yugi watched, fascinated. A bird, maybe? But the shape was too big. The creature suddenly swooped in front of the moonlight. It's shadow was huge, ominous...definitely no bird. "Yami!" shouted Yugi.   
Downstairs, Yami's amethyst eyes snapped open. His mind clicked to a start and he jumped up. "Yugi?!" He ran up the stairs and jumped into Yugi's room.   
"Look!" whispered Yugi. Yami was expecting something like a rabid dog to be terrorizing Yugi, but instead he saw nothing, just his light sitting near the window, pointing up.   
"What is it, aibou?" he panted, out of breath.  
"Something near the moon...what is it?"  
Just as he said that, and Yami approached the window, a beautiful call, like a whale, drifted over the rooftops. Yami's mouth dropped open as he looked at the huge shape in front of the moon.   
"I, I don't know. It has a tail, and, and a kind of beak, and huge wings..."  
"It looks like a dragon!" exclaimed Yugi. He laughed. "Like from the cards! But it's probably just a weird plane, or a bird or something."  
The King of Games was speechless. To anyone who had never participated in the Shadow Games, it could be thought that it was merely their eyes playing tricks on them. But the golden pharaoh knew that the giant creature was all too familiar, all too real. It wasn't a joke and Yugi was right. It was a dragon.  
~*~*~ Well there ya go! In this story I'm gonna be describing the Shadow Games differently, instead of using stone slabs as cards they actually brought the monsters to life and fought with them outside of the shadow realm...anyone can participate but of course, people with Sennen Items get the edge;-) R&R please! 


	2. Out of My Mind

Here is the second chapter- these are the only two I'm gonna leave up until I see how the story is goin, then I'll post more:-) Basically, I don't really know what Yami's life was like so I made up everything, the game Dogs and Soldiers and stuff like that-and I'm leaving the American names for the cards and for the people in this story...sorry but typing Jounouchi all the time takes too long! Enjoy!  
Disclaimer- *with flower* I own Yugioh. I dont own Yugioh. I own Yugioh. I dont own Yugioh. Damn.  
***  
A basket of fruits. A game of Dogs and Soldiers. Yami sat in his royal throne and bit into a juicy, pink peach, imported all the way from the other countries. Given to him to enjoy. The slaves wandered around, sweeping the stone floors, fanning him, keeping him safe from the scorching weather. Yami leaned back and breathed deeply. Another day was nearly gone. Now it was just a matter of time before the sun sank below the horizon and the whole of Egypt cooled. A small girl wandered around the halls. The Pharaoh saw her and called out. "You, what are you doing?"  
The young girl looked horrified. She cringed and dropped to the floor, even at twenty feet away. "Ph-pharoah Yami! I am, I am, so sorry to dis, disturb you. I, I was only, I-"   
His face softened. He always had a weakness for little children. "Shhh...do not be worried. I won't hurt you. I am merely wondering why you came here."  
Before the girl could answer, shouts echoed down the hall and three huge guards ran into sight, swinging curved swords. The little child got up quickly and tried to run, but the largest guard grabbed her while the other two started to search her. Yami jumped up. In a loud voice he called out. "What is the meaning of this!?" The slaves whispered hurriedly and backed away from the throne, bowing. The room went deathly silent. If the pharaoh was angered, no one got in his way.  
One of the guards turned to him and his eyes widened. "Oh, Yami-Ra! My apologies and graces, magesty. I meant no trouble." He pushed the little girl. "We were only chasing this little thief. She stole something out of your supply."  
Yami narrowed his eyes. He knew very well that poor children often stole things, and the penalty was not a good one. But many times, the guards overlooked the real thieves and blamed it on onlookers, so that they had someone to present to him when they came back. No one wanted to be in trouble with the pharaoh for letting a thief get away.  
"Did you witness this happen? Or are you guessing?" Yami's voice was deadly.  
The guard placed his sword back in its holster and a nervous look came over his face. "My lord, Yami-Ra, we never meant to anger you. It is only that we take our jobs very seriously and when something is stolen we-"  
"Little girl, did you steal something?" Yami was fed up with waiting for a real answer.  
The girl shot sideways looks at the guards and then spoke softly. "No, Pharaoh."  
Yami stared directly at the guard. "Are you positive that she is the thief?"  
The guard started to fidget. "Well, she was around the area...and she ran when we looked at her, so we assumed she had something to hide."  
"Assumed? Look at yourself. You're a palace guard. If I was a commoner (at this phrase the slaves gasped) and you approached me with a sword I would run as well."  
"Your magesty, I would never approach you with a sword."  
Yami sighed inwardly. These guards were so thick-headed. They never got the point.  
"Alright. I have reason to believe that she stole nothing. Release her."  
"But-"  
"I don't want to here it. Leave her here. And next time, catch the real thief." With a wave of his jeweled hand the guards let go of the girl and left the chamber in a hurry. The child stood up slowly as Yami beckoned her over with a smile. She approached cautiously, as though she expected a snake to jump up from behind his throne and take her in it's jaws. As soon as she was three steps below his throne he reached to the Dogs and Soldiers gameboard beside him and took off one of the small peices.  
It was a little golden ball, and carved into it were many miniature dragons. Holding it out he spoke softly, "I'm very sorry if the guards frightened you. It won't happen again. Take this as my apology." The girl stepped up closer and took the peice from his hand. As soon as she opened her palm to look at it her face brightened up and she smiled. He smiled back. "Thankyou Pharaoh! My life is in your debt." With that she ran down the steps and disappeared into the hallway.  
Yami laughed and closed his eyes. He hoped that the rest of the day would be uneventful. The heat zapped everyone's energy, but the sun was drifting just below the sand dunes. Suddenly he heard the clang of metal and he stood up, snapping to attention. The two bodyguards who occupied the entrance to the chamber were now surrounding someone. Yami held his hand up and signaled for the guards to move away but be on lookout. What they left was a woman. The young woman had an enticing face, thought Yami, but beauty was sometimes deceiving. He liked what he saw. She wore black robes which encircled her body. A small dragon, undoubtedly from the shadow games, had it's claws in her robes and was skittering up her arms. She smiled and then pulled a veil across her face. "Pharaoh Yami," she said in a sweeping gesture. Behind her, her two slaves were crouching. "I come to you after hearing of your great victories in the Shadow Games. I am Meera, empress of the tribe of the Desert Scorpions. I request a duel with you." Yami was as interested in the duel as Meera was in him. Her dark, golden brown eyes were searching his entire body, his amethyst eyes as well. She was genuinely liking what she saw. And, being an empress, thought Meera, she could have a chance with him. Yami could see her interest and he played it out. "I would be honored to duel an empress. Just one request. Will you come with me to my chambers? I simply wish to talk to you about your... tribe." He smiled slyly. Meera looked up and smiled also.   
In the chamber, Yami and Meera talked about their travels, their strategies, their duel monsters. (hehe what'd you think they'd do?) Yami found out that Meera's favorite beast was the darkfire dragon. She always carried the petit dragon on her shoulder. Every so often Meera would question him about odd things. But soon, it was time to duel.   
Yami lead her into the stone chambers of the temple in which the duels were always held. The slaves dressed him lavishly in red robes. Meera was shown to her battling spot. Many spectators arrived, crowding into the temple, pushing and shoving and cheering Yami on. The battle began.   
Yami selected the Guardian of the Fortress Dragon and he summoned it onto the field by chanting the spell he knew all too well. It flew onto the field, rearing it's huge, aqua colored head. Meera summoned the Lesser Dragon.Yami smiled to himself. So easy. One by one, her monsters were destroyed. Yami had thought that she was merely an amateur duelist, but she was taking this seriously. Her beautiful face was contorted into a mask of fury. Meera was becoming angrier and angrier with every one of her monsters which was destroyed. Soon, she summoned the petit dragon. It fluttered off her shoulder onto the field and chirped. Yami had the Trap Master out. He attacked but the petit dragon dodged it. Meera then summoned the firegrass. That was when Yami felt something in the air-a hot mist, hanging just above his head. The two creatures started to fuse together, and created the Darkfire Dragon. Meera smiled and laughed. "Pharaoh Yami, did you think I would let you win so easily?" Yami also laughed. "It's attack is not so great." Meera frowned. "I cast the spell, Fire Fury! It raises my dragon's attack by 700. Now, Yami, he is a formidable opponent." With the attack of the dragon at 2200, Yami had to trust in his luck. He felt the millennium puzzle start to rotate. It always protected him. The Senen Eye glowed on his forehead. Slowly, it's power leaked through his veins and he stifled a shout as it surged to his throat. With new strength he summoned the Dark Magician. Summoning monsters was quite a task and involved a lot of energy and power. The mage floated onto the field and stared down the Darkfire Dragon. The dragon obliterated the Trap Master, but was no match for the Dark Magician. Yami commanded the Dark Magic Attack and the dragon crumpled to the ground, searing a trail with it's claws as it struggled to get back up. Soon it fell limp. With a smirk, the Pharaoh spoke. "Good duel."   
~*~*~*~  
Yami awoke in the Millennium Puzzle with a start. What a strange dream! Sitting up he rubbed his temples. Why did he keep getting flashbacks? Why did he keep having dreams about his past? And with that woman. Meera. Yami remembered what had happened after that duel. Meera had kept coming back, spending time with him, asking him many questions. She was very interested in his job as the Pharaoh. Yami soon allowed her to visit him whenever she pleased. He liked having her around and loved how she showed him her her magic tricks. She was a beginning sorceress and Yami provided her with everything she needed for her studies in magic. But soon, Yami realized the truth about her. She was obsessed with power and dueling, obsessed with owning monsters, powerful ones. She became more hostile when Yami denied her things. Then the day came where she turned on him. Yami was alerted by the palace guard that Meera had been secretly stealing gold and scrolls from the treasuries. Just like the mages that he had sentenced to the desert before her, she was plotting to take over his kingdom. Love had blinded him. The first duel was just an excuse to get close to him and take advantage of him.Yami was heartbroken and speechless. Meera had used him and had even tried to kill him. Yami found traces of poison in his wine one day. In a fit of rage he told every guard in the land to find her. Meera was found, and dragged to the temple. Yami sentenced her and her tribe to be banished, and all of her spellbooks taken away. Her gold was taken and all the stolen scrolls. The only reason that Yami had not killed her was because he still felt for her at that time. The traitorous woman swore revenge on Yami. "If only you had shared your power with me, I could have been your queen!" And after that, Yami never saw her again.   
Standing in the Millennium Puzzle, Yami clenched his fists. That was the worst mistake of his life, trusting someone that he hardly knew. Now, he only trusted his friends, and Yugi. Yugi...he was so innocent, he knew nothing that Yami knew. He was so trusting. Yami sat down and tried to get the thoughts out of his head. He was still shaken up about the "dragon" that he thought he saw last night. And the way that he felt weak lately. How could he ever believe that that creature was a dragon? There was no way. It was probably just his eyes playing tricks on him. Yami closed his eyes and sighed. I'm out of my mind, he laughed.  
****  
The next day Yugi went off to school like usual, with the Millennium Puzzle. But Yami, even though the risk of being recognized was great, decided to split for a day. He wanted to visit the museum and it closed at the time that Yugi got out of school. Yugi agreed half-heartedly. He missed having Yami to talk to when he was alone. Lately, he noticed, Yami was distancing himself. Yugi walked off to school with a frown on his face. At home, Yami had a glass of water and then went upstairs. He changed into his regular blue coat and white shirt with many, many buckles. His hair was not behaving (as usual) but he didn't care. Running his fingers through it, he walked out the door.   
It took thirty minutes to get to the museum by foot, but the weather was cool and sunny. The clouds danced by like they were in a hurry to get somewhere. Yami sang a melody to himself as he walked, one that he remembered from ancient Egypt. It was a pretty one, and it calmed him down when he was upset.   
Soon, he came to the crosswalk. The cars sped by and honked at one another. Quickly he crossed wishing that he had the Millennium Puzzle. If he came close to being hit in this crowded intersection he would be ok as long as he had it on. But Yugi was the one who needed it, who should always be safe. Yami could deal without it.   
The Museum of Ancient History loomed in front of Yami, complete with green vines and large willow trees with droopy branches. A stone statue lay out front, spattering cold water everywhere, onto the pavement and the grass. The statues were of two native Americans playing flute and hopping around with a wolf at their feet. Yami smiled. Egypt was much more serious. He strolled into the museum with his hands in his pockets, still humming the song. When he came up to the front desk, he stopped singing it. But someone had heard him. The archeologist, Cara Far was standing nearby and nearly dropped what she was holding when she saw and heard Yami. Shoving her black hair out of her face she walked up to him. Yami saw her and recognized her from t.v., and maybe, just maybe, somewhere else?   
"Hi, I'm...Cara...you are?"  
"Nice to meet you...I am Yugi Moto," said Yami, thinking fast. He couldn't use his real name here. Plus, he had no last name that people could pronounce.  
"I see. I'm the leading archeologist at the museum, if you have any questions, feel free to ask."  
The girls golden brown eyes looked into his. Yami looked at her curiously.   
  
The golden bangles on the girl's arm jingled. Then something flashed through his head. The girl seemed very familiar to Yami, but at the time he couldn't place his finger on who she actually looked like. He had seen her in the park and on t.v...but..the dream... It was uncanny but the girl looked just like...just like...Yami shook his head. Meera was dead. Dead and rotted away in the sands of Egypt. That girl was Cara Far.   
"Are you, alright?"  
"Yes, I'm fine, thank you. Could I see those artifacts from Egypt? I saw you on the news yesterday with them and they interested me."  
The girl's face darkened. "They, are...um..off-exhibit right now. But, would you come back tomorrow? I'll show you them then."  
Yami nodded slowly. Then he turned on his heel and left. Outside, he drew in his breath sharply. The fleeting images from his past came rushing back. The girl...she was so real...so much like Meera...but that was ancient history.  
Inside the museum Cara Far smiled. She knew that he would come for the artifacts...or was it for her? He had seen her on the news..hah! Did he not remember his great Meera? Did he not remember me? Cara Far, or Meera, laughed. She knew her plan would work. Now it was just a matter of time before she carried out phase 2, but that would all happen tomorrow. She was positive that "Yugi Moto" in reality was actually Yami. It had to be. The same strong, slim and tan body, the same amethyst eyes, the same golden bangs and black and violet hair...she would get revenge. How, he would find out. Meera went back to dusting the shelves and humming to herself the same old melody that Yami had been humming. I'll just have to wait for tomorrow...  
***  
"So she reminded me so much of that girl...long ago..." Yami was sitting on the bed with Yugi in their room and explaining what had happened the past few days. Yugi absorbed it all like a sponge in a puddle, his mouth hanging open at some parts as the ancient pharaoh explained his life in Egypt. Yugi had only know a little about his Yami and his past, especially the pharaoh part. But other than that, Yami's life was a mystery.   
Yugi looked up at Yami and who was staring at the floor. "Don't be worried," he said sweetly. "Just go tomorrow and see what's up." A slight breeze blew in from the open window and Yami shivered. He drew his jacket up around him and sighed. Lately, because of his new-felt weakness, he wasn't sure of himself. Yugi looked at his Yami, the other part of him, his greatest friend, and frowned. He seemed so sad. He would never have a real life of his own. Sometimes, thought Yugi, he probably wishes that he could get away from me all together. How could I ever live without him? He teaches me everything and helps me so much. Yugi leaned over and hugged Yami in fear of losing him. Yami looked down at his little aibou and hugged him back. For a moment, he was happy. His whole goal was to keep Yugi safe. Then he patted his hair and pulled away. "I don't want to make you upset, aibou! Don't worry about me, remember, I'm the one who survived invasions and pyramid building and all of that."   
"Yeah, I guess you're right," said Yugi, still a little sad. "But I can't help but be worried." Yami smiled weakly and then got up. He stretched and walked over to the millennium puzzle on the bedside table.   
"I'm gonna go rest, ok? Don't forget to eat dinner, Yugi."  
"I won't."  
With that, Yami disappeared into the Millennium Puzzle and Yugi was left alone, shivering in the breeze. 


	3. Meetings in the Rain

Hey again- thanx for the nice reviews! About the Millenium Puzzle--when I had started writing this fic I had absolutely no knowledge about Yu-gi-oh lol- at least not as much as I have now...but that's the reason Yami doesn't have a puzzle when he splits- I guess I am going to continue the story with there being only one Millenium Puzzle even though it's a little confusing- but thanks for tryin to help! Here is chapter 5- sorry for Joey's accent...I should of just made him normal because he sounds WAY too much like a gangster lolol ENJOY!  
5-Meetings in the Rain   
Yugi had barely shut his eyes when he heard a noise outside the window. It was about twelve o'clock and he had been up late studying for a test tomorrow. Yami was still inside the Millennium Puzzle and Yugi had had some time to himself. He had been talking on the phone with Tea and had managed to catch up with her before studying. Even though he had trouble admitting it, Yugi knew that he still liked Tea, deep down.   
The sounds grew louder outside and Yugi yawned and sat up. The window was cold to the touch, it had been raining hard and it was still drizzling a little. The stars were hardly visible. Yugi pushed open the window when he heard someone faintly calling his name.  
"Yugi! Hey, Yugi, come down!"  
Yugi leaned out, making sure not to fall from the slippery sill. Below him was Joey, calling up to him, his blond hair drenched and matted all over his face. His normal green attire was also soaked, and it hung on him loosely. Yugi was surprised to see Joey out there and gasped at the site. Even though he was completely clueless as to what Joey needed he walked quietly down the stairs and opened the door. Joey bolted in, ringing out his shirt and fluffing up his hair.   
"Joey, why are you out at twelve at night, in the pouring rain!?"  
"What a' you, my mudda?"  
Yugi kept quiet and just looked at him. After a puddle started to form at Joey's feet he spoke again.  
"Well, are you gonna tell me?" Yugi was standing in his pajamas and it was cold in the kitchen.  
"Yeah...I guess so," Joey said as he looked at the floor. "It's about...this girl..."  
"WHAT!?" shouted Yugi. "You came all the way over here in the middle of the night, just to tell me about your new crush?? Joey you're just lucky my grandfather isn't here..."  
"Yuge! Stop for a sec and lemme' explain. It's not a normal girl...it's weird, ya know?!"  
"Umm, not following," said Yugi, looking at him, completely confused.  
"Ok, um, well ya know that card that Tea has? The Magician of Faith or whateva? Well, I must sound crazy but I swear, I just got home at ten and I saw somethin that looked just like her walkin' down my street! She was wearin' tha robe and holdin' tha staff and everythin'. If it was Halloween I'd be ok wit it but it's not! I had ta wait till my parents fell asleep before I could come see ya. Yugi, ya gotta help me. Am I goin' crazy?"  
Yugi thought for a second about the "dragon" he had seen last night. All of sudden he wanted someone there with him. A strange feeling crept up his spine and made him feel cold.   
"No, I don't think you are crazy, Joey. Far from it..."  
"Huh? So I don't need no phychiatrist or whateva?"  
"No...last night...I couldn't believe my eyes but I swear I saw something flying around that looked just like a...a...dragon or something!"  
"A dragin?"  
"Yeah...and Yam-"  
"Who?"  
"Nothing..."  
"O...k, so what did ya' do?"  
"Nothing! I thought it was just my eyes playing tricks on me but maybe...are you positive that it was the magician of faith?"  
"Pretty sure! Unless my neighbahood has gone cooky or sometin I think it was her, maybe a hologram or somethin'."  
"Hologram? That could be what it is! Maybe Kaiba is working on some new things and are testing them out here!"  
"I doubt it Yuge, it looked so real! And it's kinda unlikely that he'd pick here to test his stuff out."  
Yugi thought for a moment. A hologram was a good explanation, but Joey was right. It was too odd. And that dragon last night, it was too real.   
"Wanna go take a walk? Maybe we can clear our heads and think a little. Or maybe we'll see another hologram! We can walk by your street."  
Joey nodded. "It's rainin' tho Yuge. You don't mind?"  
"Not too much. Just let me get changed. Look! It's stopping a little. If we get walking soon we'll be back at your house in only a few minutes."  
Joey smiled. "Thanks buddy. I knew I wasn't crazy!"  
Yugi ran up the stairs and walked into the dark room. The Millennium Puzzle was resting on the table and it glowed, faintly. He searched through his drawers and found a pair of old gym clothes. At least he wouldn't soak perfectly good pj's. Slipping them on he looked over at the Millennium Puzzle. He didn't want to wake up Yami and he'd only be a few minutes. It would be no trouble if he left it here, just once, would it? Yugi slipped quietly downstairs. Before leaving, he scribbled a message on a little note and left it on the frame of the coat closet, making sure not to attract Joey's attention. Joey would think he was nuts if he saw him leaving a note for an invisible "somebody."  
"Ready?"  
Joey opened the door and stepped outside. He breathed in loudly and then laughed. "Nice, weatha, huh?"  
Yugi laughed too. It was only drizzling a little and the night was quiet and the air was thick.   
"It smells like skunk out here!" laughed Joey. This remark was rather loud and Yugi started laughing and held a finger to his mouth. "Shhh Joey! You'll wake up the neighborhood!"  
Joey gave him the "whateva" look and started walking.   
Back up in the soul room, Yami woke slowly out of his sleep. This was the usual patterns when he tried to catch some shut-eye. He would hardly ever sleep straight through the night. His slumber was always broken by something or other. Tonight, Joey's loud remark had awakened him, even from inside the Millennium Puzzle. He sat up without yawning and got to his feet. At least I didn't dream tonight... But somthing else was bothering him. He felt strangely separated. Alone. Not liking the feeling, he emerged from the soul room and found himself looking around Yugi's room, completely in the dark. He glanced at the bed and it was empty. The sheets were strewn around and the dresser was open. "Yugi?" he called softly. No answer. Yami snatched the golden millennium puzzle off the small table and slipped it around his neck. It was a heavy, familiar feeling. Snapping out of his thoughts he grew more concerned, and started to search the house. When he found no sign of Yugi he stopped in exasperation.   
"Where did he-"  
Then he saw that Yugi's rain jacket was removed from the closet which stood half open in the hall. Yami saw a small post-it note on the frame of the door, just out of sight. You probably won't be up but if you are, I'm out with Joey- he had a bad dream or something, I'll be back soon, Yugi  
Sighing with relief, Yami walked to the door and stepped out. A spray of rain rushed by and sprinkled onto his upturned face. It was refreshing. When he had been a pharaoh in Egypt, there was hardly ever rain. But in his childhood, if it rained, he would run out of the temple and dance around in the gales. Yami held out his hands and let the water drizzle into his palms. The Pharaoh felt a little lighter and walked with a bounce in his step.   
About five minutes from the house he heard the noisy conversation of Yugi and Joey. Good. At least they were safe. Making sure to stay out of their line of sight he crept behind the trees. He knew for a fact that Yugi wouldn't want him worrying so much, he'd have rather him stayed home. How many times had Yugi told Yami that he was able to care for himself? But Yami wanted to make sure he was safe. He watched, hidden behind the bushes and growth. Maybe, on the way home, he could scare him. Served him right for leaving in the middle of the night...plus, he hadn't played a prank in so many years. Smiling to himself he crouched down and watched, wrinkling his nose at the sudden gust of odor which swept down the street. It came from back the way he had come. Joey must have smelt it too, for again he exclaimed, "Yuge, you can't smell dat?! My god it smells like sumthin' died! Maybe it's a skunk or a fox or somethin.'"  
Yugi sniffed and coughed. "Yeah, it's pretty gross!"  
Then the boys continued on with their conversation. Yami followed them a little further. Suddenly, the rain started up again.  
"Are we almost there? I can't see anything!" shouted Yugi over the downpour. Joey strained his eyes. "A liddle furtha." From back behind the trees, Yami smelled the stench once more. He looked around. Maybe whatever it was was following them? He ran his hand through his hair. He was drenched and his bangs were plastered to his face. The rain was warm and he didn't mind it but it made it hard to walk fast, for his clothes stuck to his body. Out of the corner of his amethyst eyes he saw something move. Through the gray sheet of rain a beast of a green hue had it's head lowered to the ground as it dragged slowly towards the boys. It was about the height of Joey, maybe a little bigger. It's stench was overpowering, probably form it's shaggy, wet coat. Yugi and Joey didn't see the creature walking slowly behind them but they definitely smelled it and made a dramatic act of crumpling to the ground and dying from the stench. Laughing, they moved on. Yami watched as it followed the boys down the street, walking like an overgrown ape. Not believing his eyes, he stepped out from behind the trees and tried to get a closer look. His voice was caught in his throat and he could not warn Yugi or Joey. Then, the beast roared and with lightning speed, lunged forward. Yugi and Joey whirled around, a mask of total terror on their face. Joey shouted and dodged a swing from the creature's mighty paw. It checked it's immense body into Yugi and he was flung onto the pavement, groaning. A pair of yellowish eyes swept over Joey and it raised it's great claw to strike again. Then from behind it, the mighty pharaoh's voice pierced through the driving rain. "MIND CRUSH!" he bellowed and the creature froze in mid-whack. It became rigid and then fell to the grown in a forest-green heap. Joey stood in shock and stared back and forth, from Yami toYugi and to the monster on the ground. His mouth dropped open, slowly and then he fell backwards, trying to back away from the unbelievable scene. Sputtering like a man who has just seen a ghost, he collapsed on his elbows and shouted, "What the, who are, what WAS that!?"  
Yugi groaned and gritted his teeth as he slowly sat up. Looking behind him he saw the crumpled monster and Yami, reverently looking down on him, his eyes hardened. But when Yami saw the hurt expression on Yugi's small face he softened and bent to help him up. The Senen Eye still glowed on his forehead. Yugi took Yami's hand and painfully got to his feet. Then he limped over to Joey.  
"There are, TWO of you! How, what da, Yugi, I think I'm gunna faint."  
"No! Listen, I can explain. About the other "me," anyway. Maybe not the monster but definitely about him," he said, pointing to Yami.  
Joey nodded, utterly shaken and got to his feet. He still kept his distance from the monster on the ground. "Is it, dead?"  
Yami chose to let Yugi do the explaining. The little boy looked at the creature and back at Yami. "No, not quite, but it won't be bothering us anytime soon." At the same time he said this, the creature started to quiver and with a loud sigh, a white mist drifted from it's body and floated away into the night. Not soon after, the creature itself turned into this energy and disappeared. The rain poured down.  
No one could explain why the monster disappeared, but all they could say was that it was by no means a hologram. Yugi had the scrapes and Joey had the cuts to prove it. But instead of continuing the journey back to Joey's house, Yami and Joey helped the injured Yugi back to grandpa's. Once inside, the three fell into the seats at the kitchen table. Yami hadn't said a word until now. "Feral Imp."  
"What?" muttered a tired Yugi.  
"It was the Feral Imp. You didn't recognize it?"  
Yugi nodded. "I wouldn't admit it to myself then but it definitely was. And I'm sure that dragon that we saw the other night was in fact a dragon. And Joey, you aren't crazy. What's happening, Yami?"  
"Who's Yami?" asked Joey with a confused expression. "The otha Yugi?"  
"Should we explain it, now?" asked Yugi, casting a worn glance at Yami. The King of Games nodded.   
After about thirty minutes of bewilderment and questions from Joey's part, and long explanations from Yugi, everyone fell silent.   
"So wait, there are two Yugis, but one is tha king of games from Egypt...and tha otha one is a student at Domino High but they both live in tha same body and one of em has magical powers?"  
"Yes, I guess," answered Yugi, who was now, thoroughly exhausted, and who's patience had worn thin. He had tried telling Joey about the time when Bakura had frozen both their souls into their favorite cards and Yami had to battle but Joey could not remember this. He had thought it was a dream. But now, everything was making sense to Joey.   
"Ok, I think I get it. Now so much fits!" Joey was still looking at Yami. "What did you do back there?"   
Yami answered plainly, "I rescued you."  
"I know, but how'd ya kill it?"  
"I used the powers of the Millennium Puzzle. I expelled it's mind from it's body. But it seems that the powers have grown stronger. I...somehow killed it. And," he rubbed his forehead, "I seem to have gotten a really bad headache from it." The Senen Eye had disappeared but the extra power had left Yami with a temporary grievance in his head.  
Joey laughed. "Two Yugis and monstas runnin' wild! Who knew! Anyway, what should I call ya'?"  
Yami shrugged. "Yami, is my real name. But I'm used to you, Tea, Bakura and Tristan calling me Yugi. So whatever you wish."  
"Alright, Yami it is! And lemme get this straight, you can switch whenever you want, and YOU were the one battling against all our enemies and Kaiba!?"  
"Yes, but Yugi helped." Yami smiled at his smaller friend. Yugi forced a smile and then started to drag himself upstairs. "I'm gonna go to sleep. Joey, please don't tell anyone about Yami. I'm planning to give the news pretty soon. I just don't want too many questions too fast. Goodnight, everyone."  
Yami was concerned but he needed to help Joey get home.   
"I'll walk Joey home."  
"Alright! Wouldn't wanna run into any more creepy crawlies, eh?"  
Yami shot another worried glance up the stairs before following Joey out of the house.   
  
***  
Voila! I'll post chapter 6 soon- it's entitled CAPTURE hehehehe so it'll have some more action and a little Yami abuse in it...sry Yami fans, I love him too! please R&R! 


	4. Capture

Back again! Sorry for the delay...I had to finish some stupid summer reading for school:-/ I'm sure a lot of you have been there...but here is the new chapter, Capture. Thankyou to everyone who has been reviewing! In this chapter I tried my best to keep Domino highschool as close to the way Japanese schools are as possible but I don't know if they have vacations or long breaks. I decided that I was going to make a "summer break" just for this story. If you have any info on this stuff feel free to tell me:-) I also made up the name of a restaurant which the gang goes to...it's just supposed to be an American style restaurant but again, I have no idea if they have this kind of stuff in Japan so please don't be mad- with all that said...on w/ the story!  
  
6-Capture  
Meera, or Cara Far, stood outside the small carrier plane, which had been supplied to her by her ressurector after some effort. It would serve her well, if her plan worked out. The sun was just rising, a cool blanket of dew coated the short-cropped grass on the sides of the take off strip and the outlines of the buildings of Domino City could just be seen. Everything was new to Meera, since she had just recently come back. All this technology, all these new inventions, no pharaohs, no slaves, just millions and billions of pounds of polished "metal." But Meera wouldn't be lead astray. At first she was in shock, but then her senses came back to her. She remembered who had introduced her back into this world, and why. But all that would be revealed later. Now it was time for the business at hand. Soon, her hired kidnappers would be arriving at the Museum, posing as merely visitors. In reality they were working for her ressurector, because these kidnappers had no idea who _she_ was, her resurrector had simply hired them to do the dirty work and bring Yami to her. She could easily teleport herself with spells from Domino to the exact location in Egypt, but more than one person was impossible.   
  
Meera started to think about how it would be in Egypt, but she brought her thoughts back to Domino. Yami would arrive at the museum and be caught. Poor, great, stupid Pharaoh Yami who was just interested in seeing some silly artifacts and a little innocent archaeologist. Which wasn't in reality a meek little archaeologist but a powerful sorceress. Meera twiddled her thumbs and a small shock of yellow light danced through her finger tips. She had labored so long to become this powerful. Smiling to herself she thought, Even if he hadn't fallen for my trap, I would have found a way to get him. Now, he can join me, or die... With that, Meera recited a short incantation and burst into a cloud of red smoke. She was gone. Back to Egypt, awaiting the arrival of her ancient lover, and enemy.   
  
***  
"Ok I'm leaving!"  
"Me too."  
Yugi and Yami were standing at the doorway, both ready to depart. Yugi, who was completely exhausted from the little romp last night, was heading off to school. Thankgod it's Friday, he thought. Yugi had tried convincing himself that the incident last night had just been a bad dream, but even if it wasn't, he had the Millennium Puzzle safely hung around his neck. Yami had insisted that he keep it. The great Pharaoh had to go to the museum and see the artifacts and the girl. Yami was looking forward to his trip but he was a little concerned that the monsters could show up again. Hopefully, that was the last of them.   
  
"Are you sure I should keep this?" asked Yugi, spinning the puzzle around his neck.  
"Yes, very. Don't worry I'll be fine. I'll be home before you, anyway."  
  
"What about the monsters?"  
  
"I doubt they will show themselves while the sun is up. Let's just hope that Kaiba Corp has been working on a very,very advanced hologram and that those aren't...real. Maybe that's what happened." Yami had every fiber of his being against the appearance of a REAL monster, that just wasn't possible...here or at present times... and there was no use calling officials, they would just laugh.  
  
"Maybe later today I can give Kaiba Corp a ring! If it IS a secret project, I doubt they'd tell me and Kaiba is away. But it's worth a try."  
  
"Alright." Yami nodded, his old stern nod.  
  
"Lighten up a little! At least you weren't the one who was almost made a shishkabob last night!" laughed Yugi.  
  
"That's just the thing..." Yami trailed off. Yugi gave him a warning look, which clearly said, "don't go there, I'll be fine."  
  
And with that he waved goodbye and ran out to get his bike and go to school. Yami watched and then followed him out.   
  
***  
Yugi pedaled quickly, his bike tires squeaking on the wet ground. He could hardly keep his eyes open. Last night, he had gotten so little sleep that he wasn't thinking straight. But that didn't mean that he wasn't up for a good game of Duel Monsters. He pedaled a little harder when he noticed a group of boys leaning against a stop sign, watching him. One of them jeered, "Hey, it's little Yugi! Hey Yugi, where's your Grandpa?"  
  
Yugi frowned and kept going. The sky was greyish, the air was whipping his hair back. He hated it when he was picked on for his size. But Tea, Joey, Tristan and Bakura didn't say much about it. They never picked on him. At the thought of his friends, Yugi pedaled a little faster still. He couldn't wait to see them. Suddenly his foot slipped and the bike twisted at an odd angle and skidded into some bushes. He looked around, embarresed but not hurt, stood up, and brushed the needles from the shrubbery off his jacket. Then he heard a stifled laugh from nearby. Looking up, not aware of how close he was to school, he saw Tea, leaning with Bakura against a tree. Bakura was laughing a little as was Tea. Yugi's face immediately brightened.  
  
"Hey guys! How long were you standing there?"  
  
"Long enough to see you fall," laughed Bakura. "I'm sorry, are you o.k.?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm ok, hi Tea!"  
  
Tea looked up and waved. "Ready for class?"  
  
"No, not really, I'm so tired."  
  
"That's good! Cause we didn't wanna go to class either!" Tea smirked.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Behind Yugi, the bushes rattled and Tristan and Joey lept out, both grabbing Yugi's arms and wrestling him to the ground. He laughed and tried to fend them off but soon they were soaking and grass was stuck to all three.   
  
"So," laughed Tristan, "what do ya say we just skip class? Just once?"  
  
Joey smiled. "Heh, we're rebels!"  
  
"I don't know," sighed Yugi, "are you sure?"  
  
"Oh come on, we gotta have some fun. We're always obeyin the rules and besides, only a few days before break!" announced Tristan with a sly grin.  
  
Yugi looked at his wet school jacket and rickety old bike. He couldn't resist. It was too tempting. With a smile, he asked,   
  
"So where we goin'?"  
  
Tristan and Joey high-fived and Tea helped Yugi to his feet.  
  
"I told them you wouldn't wanna, so I'll go back to school with you if you don't   
wanna skip," said Tea, giving a sincere look to Yugi.  
  
"No, it's ok. I'd rather be with you guys. It's Friday! What could we miss?"  
  
Bakura nodded. Then the group sneaked away from the school to enjoy an early second-breakfast in the city.  
  
***  
Yami walked up to the bustop. He wasn't in the mood for walking today, so taking the bus was his next choice. After waiting for five minutes the bus pulled up with a screech and the gray and black doors swung open. An older, chubby woman sat in the fake black leather bus seat and smiled down. "Hey handsome, where to?"  
  
Yami couldn't help but crack a smile. He walked onto the bus and handed the woman his change. Then he took a seat in the back after telling her the stop he would be getting off at.  
  
The older bus driver looked into the mirror and waved at him, grinning. Trying to cover a laugh he waved back and then turned away quickly, only to be facing a little girl holding a miniature doll. She also gave him a smile in which two teeth were missing and loudly announced, "Your hair is funny!"  
  
Yami arched his eyebrows and then blew a bang out of his eyesight, exaggerating the motion to make the little girl laugh. The little girl's mother apologized profusely. "I'm so sorry! She can be so loud sometimes. Shhh, Hali, quiet down! It's not nice."  
  
With all of his charm, Yami just smiled and answered back, "It's alright. She's a cute little one. I guess I'm just popular with the ladies," he winked, motioning towards the busdriver and then towards the little girl. The mother smiled and then went back to looking out the window.  
  
**  
"I think I'll have the silver dollar pancakes," announced Yugi with a grin. The gang was seated in the big leather booths at the arcade/restaurant, HomeRuns. The cheery waitress was taking their orders and Joey and Tristan were fighting over the menu. Tea, Yugi and Bakura sat together on one side of the booth and they had ordered.   
  
"Gentlemen? Can I get your order?" asked the waitress politely, smiling down with over-exaggerated happiness at Joey and Tristan.   
  
"If Tristan would gimme the stupid menu then I could actually see wat I wanted," mumbled Joey.  
  
"Just gimme a second," answered an annoyed Tristan. He flipped through it then leaned back. "Alright! I'm all done, Joey! You can have the menu."   
  
Finally, ten minutes later, the group was finished ordering and the food was on it's way. Yugi couldn't help but notice how pretty Tea looked today. But he didn't have the courage to say it. Her soft brown hair blew in the early morning breeze and Yugi got lost by looking at her. Soon, Bakura saw what he was looking at.  
  
"Eyes off, tiger," Bakura whispered.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You're too obvious, Yugi."  
  
"Ohhh..." Yugi blushed and turned away. He was a little disappointed that someone had found out his secret...but if Bakura was able to after just a short time...then surely Tea must have some idea! Yugi frowned and looked out the window.   
Soon after, breakfast was served.  
  
***  
  
"Hello?"  
  
Yami stepped inside the museum. A cool gust of air from the ducts hit his face and he stopped for a second to savor the feeling. Then he walked in. The place smelled old, he hadn't noticed that before. It smelled like animal fur and of glass cleaner and just smelled...old. The floors were all polished, the exhibits were all perfect. Behind flawless glass windows the history of the world could be seen in bits and peices.  
  
Walking to the front desk, Yami wondered where the girl, Cara Far, could be. He had no idea where the Egyptian wing was. A little silver bell sat on the counter and he rang it. After nobody came, he decided to go exploring. The halls were silent but every so often he heard a whisper. Soon, Yami saw an older woman standing by an exhibit about Ancient China. She pointed down a long hallway, to where the Egyptian exhibit was. Yami walked briskly and soon was in the land he once knew, only a much smaller version. In large display cases, artifacts were displayed. Chisels, bones, pieces of gold and strings of silver jewelry lined the cases. Yami did not find these extremely impressive. He knew the real treasures of Egypt were the pyramids and some artifacts that the modern archaeologists would never find.   
  
After inspecting the exhibit Yami decided to seek out the girl, Cara Far. There was hardly anyone around. "Hello?" he called again, glancing behind displays and walls. He walked down every aisle until he came to a back room. The room was dark, the door left ajar. Gazing inside, Yami spotted a figurine of an Egyptian god, lying on it's side. Slowly he looked around and with the stealth of a cat, slipped into the room. It was dark inside and smelled musty. Hundreds and hundreds of boxes were stacked around the walls. Papers and Styrofoam covered desks and tables. He approached the statue on the desk and recognized the god it was portraying. He lovingly muttered some ancient words in Egyptian and kissed the statue's head. It was always good to respect the God's, even their statues. He then noticed that an exit in the back of the room was open and he drew near it. Maybe the girl was outside? Poking his head out he saw a dumpster and the back of an alley. Suddenly, a shuffling noise caught his attention and he instinctively walked outside to see what it was. The alley was darker than the rest of the outside, for fire escapes and staircases spiraled up the side of the buildings into the high, dusty lofts of the museum and closed out some of the sunlight.  
  
Yami saw the end of the alley, far up. An air conditioner or a vent turned on behind him, making him jump a bit. The Pharaoh was not to be bothered though, after he had seen the noisy "enemy." Walking a bit further up the alley, Yami weaved his way through the puddles of rain on which papers floated and trash was thrown. Again, Yami heard the rustling sound and, more cautiously, neared the end of the alley. It emptied into a street and he walked briskly, desperately wanting to get out of the silent, eerie place. A great red bird was perched on a fire escape above his head and it squaked loudly. Yami ignored it and kept walking. Finally, he burst out of the alley without looking and stood there, panting. Why had he gotten so worried?   
  
Suddenly, a large hand holding a damp rag came from behind him and covered his face. Yami struggled, trying to call out but all that emerged was a stifled yell. In his head he screamed, "Help!" but Yugi wasn't there to hear him, and no one was around to see him. He was shoved against the wall and could see four men around him, one holding the rag over his face and the others restraining him against the cold brick. Yami tried to hold his breath but he had to give in. He started to panic as the chloroform from the rag flooded through him. Soon, his eyelids began to droop and his body felt like a lead weight. The Pharaoh's mind started to float away from him as the medicine took it's effect. The men were shouting to eachother but the words were all muffled now, their faces blurry. Yami's eyes shut and his small frame fell into the man's arms. He was held in the hands of the enemy.  
  
***  
"Shouldn't you kids be in school?" asked a man on a street corner. He was holding a black cellphone and sitting on a bench. The Domino freshman had just emerged after eating breakfast and Yugi regarded the man with a sheepish smile. He felt like he was in charge for a change and decided to be a little daring. "Uh...if we said "yes" could you do anything about it?"   
  
"Well, no...but...it's the afternoon and..."  
  
"Well then! In that case, yes, we _should_ be in school."  
  
Yugi walked away with a smile on his face and the gang crossed the street and headed towards the park.  
  
"Geez, Yuge, what was dat all about?" laughed Joey. "Gettin ta be like me n' Tristan!"  
  
"I dunno...but it really wasn't his business," laughed Yugi. He knew it wasn't like him but today he felt different. He didn't know why. Bakura regarded him with a funny look.  
  
"Wow, Yugi, you seem different...maybe you grew?" he backed away playfully, dodging a little push from Yugi.  
  
"No, I don't know. Maybe it's the weather. Summer's coming."  
  
He pointed up to the bluish sky and the bright sun, surrounded by a few, lacy clouds. Everything was perfect. But little did Yugi know the peril that Yami faced.  
**~*~**~*~**~*~**  
Hope u enjoyed:-D I'll be posting some more verrry soon-as always...please R&R! 


	5. Swept Up In It All

Another day, another chapter! Actually two chapters combined in one. The second part was called "Questions w/ no Answers" but I wanted to combine the two to make it longer. Anyway...this is the chapter where Yami gets personal with his captors and is really in the doghouse. And Yugi gets confused a lot. *Btw, it's 2 in the morning and I'm writing these author's notes which is why they aren't so caring...I feel evil...lol* I'll have the next chapter up soon! Enjoy:-)  
****  
  
The four men had driven Yami to where the boss had planned, the older, private airport just outside of Domino where they had scheduled the takeoff with the staff. This place was frequently used for the storage of private planes and flying lessons, so not many people took off from it. They checked to make sure that the many cans of gasoline were tucked securely away in the plane's compartments. Making some pitstops along the way, her men would be able to make it to Egypt without too much difficulty. After all, this had all been planned.   
  
The largest of the men, wearing a regular white tank top and a pair of cargo pants gruffly pulled Yami from the back seat of the car which was parked close to the plane, looked both ways to make sure no one was looking and carried him into the back. No one had seen him. There were only a few people on the job today and they were inside the "airport." It was a small, white building where people bought tickets for the lessons and registered their planes for storing them there.   
  
The leader leaned Yami against the wall and called one of the men in to watch him in case he awoke. But Yami was completely unconsious, his fair face left with a look of sadness on it. His clothes were ruffed up from the scuffle. His breathing was shallow and every so often one of the men would press two fingers to his neck to make sure he had a pulse. He was to be brought alive and well, the boss had said.  
  
Finally, the man in charge wearing the tank climbed into the cabin and started the plane.  
**  
About an hour into the flight Yami started to stir. His head was pounding and his vision was blurry, but he was able to make out the shape of a man sitting across from him, eating a sandwich and bobbing his head to a song from his cd player. The air was thick and humid and there was no breeze. Yami tried to move but he felt numb, and saw that he was tied tightly by a thick cord around his arms and waist. He took a quick breath as his senses started returning and murmured,   
  
"Where am I?"  
  
At these words the man looked up, removed his head phones, got to his feet (barely missing the roof of the cargo area) and turned toward the cockpit.   
  
"He's up."   
  
"Huh?" muttered a still half-drugged Yami.  
  
"Shut up." With this the man kicked him hard in the ribs.   
  
Yami cringed and nearly slid onto his side. The kick took him out of his drugged stupor and he opened his eyes. He painfully asked again, with more determination,   
  
"Who are you?"   
  
"I said, shut up." Again the man kicked him.  
  
"Hey! Hey, stop. Just drug him again. The boss will get pissed if his pride and joy is toyed with before he gets to," mumbled a man from the cockpit.  
  
This comment echoed in Yami's head. Who was he talking about? A sharp pain in his temples caused him to grit his teeth. His side was sore and the cords cut into him.   
Glancing down he saw that his clothes were torn a little.  
  
"What's the big deal? Not like I'm gonna kill him," taunted the man who had just kicked Yami.  
  
He smiled down at him with a malicious look in his eyes.  
  
"So this is supposed to be a powerful guy? Doesn't look like much."  
  
Yami looked up, but chose to ignore the comment. If he said anything, he'd most likely get kicked.   
  
"You're just gonna take it?" teased the man.  
  
Yami looked away. He was so confused. Why was he here? He thought of Yugi back home, and all his friends. Home? Wait, was he on a plane? All he knew was that the thing he was in was moving quickly, due to the noise and vibrations, but their were no windows in this area and he couldn't move enough to see the cockpit. Questions flooded through his head.  
  
"Where are you taking me?" he managed to ask. He knew it would probably end up in another kick but he had to know.  
  
"Should we tell em?" asked the man standing over him, eating the last piece of sandwich.  
  
"Why not," answered the man in the front. "He could probably guess on his own. The boss seems to really hate this guy."  
  
The man laughed.   
  
"Alright, we're takin you somewhere. That's all I'm saying. Somewhere nice and hot. And deadly, for you."  
  
Yami narrowed his eyes and then fell silent. A blank look came over the pharaoh's eyes as he realized that he would probably never get home and the truth sank in that he was helpless and confused as to what was happening, but it seemed that he was in very great danger of being killed. But by who?  
  
The man eating his sandwich stopped chewing like a cow for a second and studied the King of Games with a half smile.   
  
"My name's Black Jack, as the boys like to call me, but to you I'm just Jack. That is, if you're gonna talk. I know you probably hate me but I'm just doin' my job. We're gettin' a big payoff from the boss."  
  
"Why you talkin to him? Not like he's gonna answer after you kicked him," joked the guy in the cockpit. He turned around, looked at the two of them and Yami's blank face, shook his head and then turned back around.  
  
"Whatever," muttered Jack with an annoyed glance. He walked towards a giant black duffle bag in the back of the plane and took out a white, unlabeled bottle and a rag.  
  
"Eh? You like this stuff? Pretty strong, huh?"  
  
Yami looked over at him and then back at the cords tying his waist. He desperately didn't wanna be drugged again but he wouldn't lower himself to begging. Jack doused the rag with some of the clear liquid and then sauntered back over towards Yami, giving a little wobble at a slight bit of turbulence. He dangled the rag in front of Yami's face.  
  
"Talk to me," he grinned, "or I'll make sure that you can't."  
  
With defiant eyes Yami stared into Jack's brown ones and then spoke, slowly and clearly, "You're not worth it. I'd rather be drugged then have to listen to you."  
  
Jack's face broke into an angry contortion and he pulled back. Then, shaking it off he shrugged his shoulders. "Suit yourself."  
  
With this he put the rag to Yami's face and held it there without resistance until the pharaoh's eyes closed. Then he backed away.  
  
"Black Jack, what didja' do? He wasn't doin' anythin."  
  
"Why keep him awake? We don't need anyone bad mouthin' us. He's the one whose tied up, not us."  
  
"Oh, poor Jackie, did he insult you? It seems like whenever you watch anyone for the boss you always get all hot and bothered. What did this one say?"  
  
"Nothin, Ryan, just shut up."  
  
With that the disgruntled Jack sat down and continued to bang his head to the heavy metal drifting through his head phones.  
  
***  
"Yami? Are you here?" Yugi walked slowly into the house, shutting the door behind him. He walked to the counter in the kitchen and took a handfull of cereal out of the box. Munching loudly, he called again, "Yami?" When no answer emerged from the warmly lit house he went into the living room and flicked on the t.v. Hardly anything good was on and Yugi decided that he'd take a nap. Curling into a ball on the couch he shut his eyes and let the warmth of the bright golden sun pour in from the window and lull him to sleep. It had been a fun day and soon it would be sunset. But now sleep was resting itself gently on Yugi's shoulders, and he drifted off in complete bliss, thinking of the beautiful face of Tea Gardener, smiling down on him and laughing.  
  
***  
"Wake the hell up." Jack stood over Yami and was pushing him with his toe. The drug had been wearing off for a few minutes now but Yami tried to stay asleep, not wanting to wake up just to find out that he was still captured. When the prodding became more severe he opened his eyes with great effort and looked dully up at the cruel face above him.  
  
"What do you want?" he asked in a cold, hard tone, which made Jack step back.  
  
"We're landin' to gas up. The airstrip that we gotta' stop at has guards. They'll probably search the plane and if you're in here "sleepin'" they're gonna doubt that we come in peace. I untied you."  
  
"So why should I cooperate?"   
  
"If you don't," hissed Jack, "then we'll make you."  
  
Yami shrugged. "Your drugs and tough-guy attitudes don't scare me."  
  
Jack just scowled down and then grabbed Yami by his shoulder and squeezed it hard. Again the pain was the thing that fully woke the Pharaoh up.  
  
"Get up. You better cooperate. If you say anythin' stupid they won't listen anyway. These guys don't speak too much English. And by the way, if you say a word in the first place then you won't feel so smart when you get back on the plane."  
  
"I'm shaking." Yami gruffly got to his feet, staggering a little, and held onto a cold metal shelf loaded with bags. The plane was not roomy, but it wasn't tiny either. Now that he was standing he realized how much shorter Jack seemed. It would be easy for him to attack the guard, but what good would that do? He didn't know how to fly a plane.  
  
"Now listen," explained Jack. "Don't say anything. Just shutup and stand there. They're gonna search the plane a little and then we can get on our way."  
  
Yami glared at him and then spoke. "Say I run. What could you do?"  
  
"Chase you and beat you until you bleed when we get back. Plus, where would you run to? You don't even know where you are."  
  
This was all true. Yami's doubt had been growing. He had no idea where he was, only now he knew he was on a plane. And if they were flying to somewhere foreign, which is what it seemed, he would be completely lost. He was completely lost, and alone.   
Sighing he held on and braced himself along with Jack for landing.  
  
The plane stopped momentarily and as soon as it came to a complete hault the doors were opened abruptly. Jack looked at Yami. "Get off." He flashed a small pocket knife hidden in his coat.  
  
Obediantly Yami hopped out of the plane. He knew it was no use fighting. It was 4 on 1 and he had nothing to defend himself with. And no millennium puzzle.   
  
Three men in army suits trotted over. They had dark skin and black hair and one of them carried a gun over his shoulder.  
  
In broken English, the head of the group approached the leader of the kidnappers and spoke slowly. "Why do you land here?"  
  
"We have to gas up our plane. There wasn't any more strips around. I'm very sorry to bother you but we needed a place to land. As soon as we get gassed up we're on our way."  
  
The man nodded and looked from face to face. He stopped on Yami and then motioned towards the plane.  
  
"A quick search, ok?"  
  
Then the other men hopped into the plane and noisily searched around. Yami wondered how they would pull off hiding weapons and the chloroform. But this could not bother him now. They were right. If he said anything, it wouldn't get him far. And he felt the cold steel of the pocket knife, now on the small of his back. Jack was behind him subtly holding him to silence. The tension was rising in him. Yami could feel Jack's nervousness but he himself was also very tense. He tried to relax. The air blew warm here and the base where they had landed had people scattered here and there. The sky was pink and the outline of a city in the distance could be seen over the horizon. This was a risky place for the men to stop. Yami glanced around to see if there was any place he could escape to. None. The small airstrip continued on. Coarse grass grew on the sides of the strip and further on a field could be seen. But no houses. Yami held his breath as he felt the steel press harder into his back.  
  
"Remember, don't say anything." Jack's voice whispered into his ear, hardly audible. Finally the men emerged. They nodded to their leader and then the leader shook hands with the pilot of the plane. "You may now refuel your plane."  
  
After the men disappeared Yami was lead back into the cargo hold. Jack shoved him and commanded him to sit down again. With the help of one of the other men he tied Yami down. His job was done for now. Again he took his seat across from the Pharaoh and twiddled the blade of the knife between his fingers.  
  
**  
Yugi walked into the old museum. It was 7:30 at night and Yami hadn't returned yet. Yugi doubted he was still here but he refused to just wait until he came home. He had been gone too long and Yugi was worried.   
  
The museum's lights had been turned on and more people were browsing around. The cool yellow light shining from the friendly hanging lamps reflected off the sides of Yugi's Millennium Puzzle. He gazed around in silence. An old woman dusting a case in the corner saw the distressed look on the little boy's face. She remembered seeing someone just like him, or was that him? come in today. She wore the regular plum colored museum uniform, with an ID around her neck. The nametag read, "Silverston, Fran" and a smiling picture of the older woman was included. She walked with short steps over to Yugi, smiling the whole way. "Can I help you, young man?"   
  
Yugi turned around and nodded cheerfully. He put on his most polite attitude. "Yes, did you happen to see someone come in today that looked like...um...just like me? He's my older brother and..."  
  
The old woman patted him on the back.  
  
"He was very polite, also! And yes, to answer your question, I saw him a few hours ago. He was at the Egyptian wing, down there."  
  
Yugi frowned. A few hours ago?  
  
"Did he leave?"  
  
"Now I'm not quite sure...I didn't see him go by me again, maybe he went out one of the other exits."  
  
Yugi nodded and then shook the old woman's weathered hands. "Thankyou!"  
  
She smiled and watched him walk away.   
  
***  
Yami was growing hungry and the light was quickly fading in the cargo hold. Jack had grown restless and often snapped at his co-workers, chatting away in the front. The King of Games had stayed quiet, wanting to listen in on their conversations. The loneliness had grown immensely in Yami. He was more unsure now than ever. His mind was clouded with questions, but he tried to relax. Panicking wouldn't help and now he realized that they were not well stocked, weapon wise, and he could most likely find a way to get out of this once they landed.   
  
So far the men had talked about everything, mostly women and t.v. and things that they had bought or were looking forward to getting once they were paid. Apparently they were working for a new boss, they did "deliveries" for all sorts of rich and powerful people and even for some foreign countries.Yami had found out many things about them just by hearing them talk. Jack was a stuck-up, tough guy who was constantly picked on by his fellow men and was quick to anger. He was their weak link. The pilot's name was Andrew and he was short on words. He hardly ever was seduced to anger but his size was immense. Yami didn't want to see him even close to anger. Ryan, the co-pilot, let words flow from his mouth like a broken fountain, never stopping. He continuously had something to say and often started singing loudly when he heard a song on his portable radio that he liked. The last man was Tom, the brains of the operation who was definitely strong. He was the one who had helped tie Yami down. This man seemed to take his job very seriously and frequently reminded his fellow kidnappers what they came to do. This was no joy ride, they were to deliver, receive and go. He was obviously the leader of this expedition.  
  
Yami listened intently and occasionally looked over at Jack to see exactly what he was doing. Jack would just stare back and occasionally taunted Yami. A few times Yami had probed him for answers as to where they were taking him but he couldn't make Jack talk. He didn't try questioning anyone else, they hardly looked at him. To them, he was just a piece of luggage.   
  
Soon the boredom started to eat away at Yami. The hum of the plane engine, the thick air and the sound of the radio in the cockpit was starting to become irksome. Yami noticed that Jack was also annoyed. Yami's fear had worn away slowly. He realized that most of the kidnappers were not extremely smart and he could probably scare them more with his mind then they could scare him with their weapons. Plus, he knew that they couldn't hurt him. If he was dead, then they would receive absolutely no money. Yami sat there, still tied and decided that he would be strong. Whatever was to come, he would defeat it. But first a little fun.   
  
"Is this your idea of fun?"   
Yami looked intently at Jack who was leaning back against the wall. It was hard to hear Yami from the cockpit if he talked softly. The men only heard Jack because he yelled.  
  
"So you're finally talking. What did you say?" snapped Jack.  
  
"I said...is this fun for you?"  
  
Jack shifted around.   
  
"You mean baby-sitting guys who are gonna die? It's not bad. I mostly do it for money."  
  
Yami smiled.  
  
"What's so funny?" asked Jack, looking rather annoyed.  
  
"You. You sit there and act like you know what you're doing. Do you know what will happen to you if the authorities catch you? And your boss? Life in prison. Death, maybe?"  
  
  
"Shutup. I'm not stupid. I know what happens."  
  
"If you just let me go..."  
  
"Now why the hell would I let you go? I've made plenty of deliveries. This is second nature. All of them have gone fine."  
  
"What if this is the one that fails?"  
  
Jack stared at Yami and gritted his teeth.  
  
"It won't."  
  
"Are you sure?" This little talk was amusing Yami. He smiled mischievously and kept looking into Jack's eyes. With his powers he could almost read the discomfort radiating from the kidnapper. Jack didn't like what he was doing.  
  
"You have no problems with sending men to death?" asked Yami coolly, seeing the anger in the other's eyes.  
  
Jack smirked.  
  
"I have no problems sending you to death."  
  
"How do you sleep at night? I'm just wondering."  
  
Jack was gritting his teeth again.  
  
"Shut up. This is just business."  
  
"Is it? I have friends...think of them! I'm sure all of the other victims had loved ones too. Imagine a little boy crying. Just think. It's your fault."  
  
"Shut up. I only deliver. I never killed anyone."  
  
"You helped. Tell me, who do you work for?"  
  
"You'll find out soon enough."  
  
"How do you know that they'll kill me? How well do you know this boss?"  
  
"Shut up."  
  
Yami smiled again. "Ok. But one day you'll get your just desserts."  
  
"Shut up! Didn't I beat you enough? Don't you understand that you're the one captive here!"  
  
"You're also captive. Captive in the thought that you have no part in men's death. (i know that sounds stupid but bear w/ me I had bad writer's block) You do. You're a criminal. Cold blooded killer."  
  
"Shut up!!"  
  
With that, Jack lunged forward and grabbed Yami around the neck. Just as he did this, Tom came scrambling into the back and pulled Jack away, shouting, "Stop it! What's happened to you!?"  
  
Yami laughed quietly. If he had to go through this madness, he might as well give his captor a little taste. Tom glared down at Yami. "You've got nerve. Do you realize that you are only a few hours away from the final destination? I don't know what the boss wants with you but I'd keep my mouth shut. You're in our hands."  
  
"If I'm gonna' die anyway...what's the point of obedience?"  
  
With that, Tom walked back into the cockpit. "Don't let him get to you Jack. Remember, you're not tied up, he is."  
***  
The alley was cold, uninviting, the papers blowing in the cold wind. Yugi looked around. He had searched the whole Egyptian section and asked everyone who he saw if they had seen Yami. No one had seen him leave. So where was he? Yugi had spotted the open door to the storage room and noticed the back door to the alley. He had crawled out into the dark, dank area and was glancing around frantically. No sign of anyone. He walked out a little further and came to the end. Here he looked around. Both ways down the street were dark and no cars came. No sign had been left from the scuffle which had occurred there only a few hours ago. A feeling of panic was steadily rising in Yugi's throat. He had no idea where Yami could have gone. Maybe out for the night? With this Yugi walked back through the alley and into the storage room. He would have to just wait it out.   
  
Yugi arrived back at the house and it was 8:30. After watching some t.v. he went upstairs and stared at the ceiling. Where was Yami? Yugi knew that he was probably safe and sound and he tried to sleep, nuzzling himself into the sheets. Eventually, late at night when fatigue won over his worry, he drifted off and slept restlessly.  
**  
  
Dark had enveloped the plane. It seeped into every corner of the cargo hold, and there was only a small light in the corner. Jack had been replaced by Tom and Tom was busily writing something, by a small table in the corner of the plane. Every so often turbulence would knock some of his papers off the small, portable table. The radio had been switched off, the plane was thrown into silence. Every so often a whisper could be heard from the cockpit, between the pilot and the other kidnappers.   
  
Yami wasn't thinking as sharply now. Everything before had just been a shock to his system but the silence and the dark yielded way for the panic to move in. Before it had been a mere shadow. Now it had grown to a great sea of blackness. Yami felt lost in it, every second more questions came into his head. But then he remembered that he could make it, and his strength returned. Slowly he regained composure and was able to keep his mind with him for a few more minutes. The hunger was eating away at him and so was the silence. The dim lighting in the cargo hold didn't help either. Yami's ribs ached where he had been kicked and all in all, he felt like his body was jarred more now, both inside and out. The tight cords around his waist seemed like curling snakes, with every breath he took they strangled the air out of him. His mind was beginning to drift again. The panic, hunger and lack of good air was affecting him for the worse and Tom, looking up could see this. Yami's head was drooping on his shoulders, his eyes barely open, even though he knew he couldn't sleep.  
  
"Jack, is there any more food up front?" asked Tom realizing that they needed to keep their prisoner healthy if they wanted good pay. His voice sliced through the thick silence.  
  
There was a rustle and Jack answered quietly, "For who?"  
  
"Me."  
  
The rustling commenced and Jack finally walked back into the cargo hold and handed Tom a paper bag. "This is it all I'm sparin'."  
  
Without a second look at anything else he went back up front and sat down. A second later Tom got out of his seat and slowly approached Yami. The Pharaoh couldn't acknowledge him with more then a glance. He stayed quiet.   
  
"You're weak. Eat this. That chloroform has a bad affect on people."  
  
Yami looked at the bag and then looked away. He would not give in, despite his hunger. He had fought them and he would continue to do so.  
  
Tom saw the rebellion on his face.   
  
"Don't be stupid. Just eat this and you'll feel better. I can't have you dying on me."  
  
"That would be too soon, right? I'll have to wait." Yami spoke slowly, weakly. He kept staring at the ground determined to be stubborn, even if he was tired and hungry. Tom seemed to be getting annoyed.  
  
"Listen. I don't like doing this job. It's just for the money, ok? I'm gonna get rich from delivering you but I don't hate you. Maybe you won't die. Who knows. But do yourself a favor." He put the bag on the floor and loosened the extremely tight bindings around Yami. The pharaoh breathed easier now and if he chose to, he would be able to eat. His arms and body were the only things tied and his hands were free. Tom kept his gaze locked on Yami and finally stood up. With a sigh he walked over to the table and started writing again. It seemed as if he had a soft spot. Yami could never forgive any of them but at least this one wasn't cruel. Suddenly, from the cockpit came a loud voice.   
  
"We're landing!" shouted the pilot.   
  
Tom walked quickly to the cockpit and then came back in the hold and sat down once more. The plane was cooling off rapidly. Yami felt dread approaching but at least the cooler air was bringing his mind back to him. The plane started to dive and soon the whoosh of the air along the sides grew thunderous. The light was a little brighter now, still dark but mixed with gray. The rumbling of the wheels of the plane on ground could be heard as it landed. Finally it came to a stop. Tom hoisted Yami to his feet and untied the cord from around his waist. Then he tied his hands behind his back and lead him out with a small push. Yami was surprised to see that the landing strip was surrounded on all sides by sand. In fact, the strip seemed to lead to nowhere but darkness. The sand was blown against their faces as a cool gust of desert wind blew by. The stars were bright white specks and there was no obstruction to make them dimmer, no lights except small fires in pits on the sides of the landing strip.  
  
Yami swallowed hard. It couldn't be, could it? The scent of the air, long since forgotten came back to him, and with it a barrage of memories. Egypt. There was no other place like it. Even from seeing so little there was no doubt in his mind that that was where he was. Egypt.   
**  
  
"What is up with this?!" laughed Jack. An airstrip in the middle of nowhere!"  
  
"Oh well, the coordinates came out right. This is the right one. Weird though, there's no airport. No nothing. Like someone just built it a while ago and forgot to complete it."  
  
"I bet the boss set this up for us. Look, there's the jeep that he told us would be here."  
  
Just as the men were talking, someone emerged from the car. "Finally got here. Been waitin' all night. C'mon. The boss is waiting."  
  
The man who said this was tall and dressed nicely. He motioned for them to follow.  
  
"What about the plane?" asked Tom.   
  
"As soon as you drop em' off you can go. It's a special place that the boss picked out. Don't know how he found it but there is a small path we can follow, through the dunes. I guess no one knows much about this area of the desert."  
  
"So that's where we are? The middle of the desert?"   
  
"Yup. Get in."  
  
The men obeyed, Tom pushing Yami along, Yami looking around in awe. Soon they were inside the jeep. The man in the front started it up.   
  
"Should be about five minutes. The boss constructed the strip just near it. He planned this all out for you."  
  
***  
  
About five minutes later, the jeep was still driving slowly against the sand, on a path that seemed to be flattened by many tire marks. Yami couldn't believe it. How would the Egyptian government not have found out what these men were planning? How could they have just ignored a base in the middle of a desert? His question was answered abruptly.  
  
  
"This is it."  
  
"Huh? There's nothing there!" remarked Ryan.  
  
The man stepped out of the car and walked over to a huge boulder. The other's followed. He dusted off the sand on the rock and then pressed something. About five feet from the jeep a sound came and a large stone slab pulled back, revealing a black opening underground.  
  
"What the f-" shouted Ryan as he watched. "Where is this place? Come on, we've never made deliveries like this."  
  
"Down there."  
  
The man in the suit pointed down the trap hole. The men cautiously followed the suit into the darkness. Tom hesitated and then pushed Yami onto the stairs. There were sounds coming from underground, faint talking.   
  
"Some underground base or something? Wow," remarked Tom.  
  
"Shh... just hurry up." The man lead them down a flight of dusty stairs into the blackness. They emerged in a torch lit hallway, built of old stone. The roof was low. Yami fell over his feet, his exhaustion and hunger trying to knock him down. Tom felt him stagger and pulled him back up again. Soon, after walking for what seemed like an eternity to the King of Games, they arrived in a small chamber, with iron doors at the end. On the doors, hieroglyphics and a symbol of Osiris were imprinted. Yami knew this had to be an ancient temple of some sort. He felt almost at ease in here, if it weren't for the fact that he was kidnapped. The air was cool and moist and the stone was damp to the touch. The torches completely lit this small chamber. Finally, the man stopped. "This is it."  
  
"Where's our money?"  
  
"Come inside."  
  
With that, the guard pushed with a great effort on the iron doors. They opened with a rumbling like an earthquake. A gust of cool air blew by them which carried the scent of flower petals and sweet perfumes. Everyone walked inside cautiously. The chamber was immense, and many other passageways could be seen leading off from the far wall. A great throne was in the middle, glistening and shining in the torchlight. This room was very bright, radiating light into the hallways. The floors were polished as well as the walls. Men stood on both sides of the chamber, looking around and speaking with short whispers. A dull sound like thunder shuddered from a far off passageway.   
  
In the middle of the chamber sat a huge rectangular pond, with many orange fish swimming to and fro. It was from this pool that the perfume scents wafted. It was also from this pool that a young woman emerged, dressed in a red robe, which revealed much of her dark skin. Behind her a great bird, which seemed to have been a statue, ruffled it's feathers and raised it's huge, scarlet wings, creating what seemed to be a backdrop for the magnificent scene. Yami did not see the woman emerge, for in the excitement of the moment, Tom had let him slip from his arms and the Pharaoh had slumped to the ground, head down. On his knees he had his eyes closed, thoroughly exhausted. This was not to say that the woman did not spot him. Her hair was curly and black and cascaded over her shoulders like tumbling waterfalls. She stood up in the pool and snapped her fingers. The water on her body suddenly started to fizzle, and in a second, it burst and was gone. She was now completely dry; it was as if the water was immediately repelled from her living body and was deposited back in the pool. The kidnappers stared in awe. The woman's brown and gold eyes swept over them and she nodded with a devious smile to the guards. They walked forward and presented the men with two suit cases and then went back to their spots. The kidnappers were speechless. Taking the suitcases they turned on their heels and fled from the room, Jack shouting, "Good luck to whoever crosses her!"  
  
With this comment, the beautiful woman stepped out of the pool with the grace of a great cat and walked cautiously towards the weak figure on the ground. Yami had not yet looked up. His teeth were gritted and he was completely convinced that this was the end of him. The panic was finally taking over.   
  
The young maiden stopped walking and halted in front of Yami. She looked down with a slight smile and then bent and picked up his chin in her slender hand. She gently turned his face to her and then her slight smile turned into a sly grin. Yami opened his eyes and was immediately bombarded by an impossible sight. He stammered, lightly, "Meera?"  
  
"Welcome, Pharaoh."  
  
***  
Hehehe a sort of a cliffhanger....please review!!! 


	6. Hatred and Tears

Okay I'm back w/ another chapter! In this chapter Yami and Yugi are left in the dark about what has happened...but next chapter...Yami finds out who resurrected Meera. DUN DUN DUN! So stick around:-) On w/ chapter 9!  
  
  
9-Hatred and Tears  
  
  
Yugi awoke the next morning and was alarmed to find that Yami was still not home. Now that he was fully alone in the house he jumped at every little sound and decided to call Joey. When his friend answered he sighed with relief.  
  
"Joey? Hey it's Yugi..."  
  
"Wats up, Yuge?"  
  
"Ummm...there's a problem, you know the 'other me?' Well, I lost him."  
  
"Lost him? Huh?"  
  
  
"He hasn't been home since yesterday afternoon, I have no idea where he is. He went to the museum and..." Yugi's voice wavered. He was genuinely worried about his darker half.  
  
"Hey, just calm down buddy, we'll find him. He probably just went somewhere."  
  
"Where? Do you think he left?"  
  
"Why would he leave?"  
  
"I don't know..." Yugi's voice faded off and he sat there with a blank look on his small face.  
  
"Ok, I'll come over. I'll just say I forgot a school book or something."  
  
"Joey, school gets out in two days. Your mom's not gonna buy it."  
  
"I'll make somethin' up."  
  
"Ok. Thanks Joey." Yugi smiled slightly and then hung up with a sigh.  
  
***  
The night had been brutal for Yami. He was still in a state of shock from what he had scene. Basically, when he realized that the young woman was Meera, he was able to merely stare in awe until he blacked out. Now, he woke up inside a cold, dim chamber, the walls were damp and the roof was made of carved stone. The chamber was closed in all around. It was like a cage and Yami was the bird.   
  
  
He had contemplated his situation the rest of the night, which wasn't long, and now morning had set in. Or was it even morning? The chamber had no windows. Yami swallowed hard and his stomach turned. He needed food, water, anything. Much to his surprise, he was not chained down. It wouldn't have mattered though, because he was too weak to stand. Yami realized that under normal conditions, but with no food or water, he would be able to last longer. But the capture had taken much out of him. And he had so many questions. Could he have been hallucinating? How could Meera be alive? Perhaps, if he had found a way to be preserved, so had she? But he would have to wait and see.   
  
  
Glancing around the chamber he noticed nothing that resembled a door. The ceiling was 15 feet above his head, high and menacing. He heard water dripping and was immediately drawn to the noise. Dragging himself along he followed the noise to the corner of the chamber and felt the cold drops fall onto his face. The water probably wasn't clean, but he didn't care. Cupping his hands he caught a few precious beads and slurped them down. The water tasted old, like that from a well and he coughed before crawling back to his spot again. Suddenly a thought dawned on him...if the chamber was shut on all sides, where was the dim light coming from?  
  
  
He felt the wall which he leaned on with his hands and ran his fingers over the cracks in the stone. Perhaps the light was seeping in from the outside? Yami got a sudden chill as a breeze blew in from an unseen spot. He heard something that seemed to be coming from the very ground, a terrifying rumble and then a loud screech.   
  
  
This screech was followed by something nearer to him, a series of footsteps coming from his right. Glancing over, he heard the footsteps stop, and then a grating noise echoed through the chamber as a great door slid open. Yami had not seen this door, it had been hidden seemlessly in the wall. Bright light poured in from torches and he saw a figure outlined against the light. It was a large man, carrying a tray.   
  
  
"Here. I will be back soon."  
  
  
As soon as he left, Yami dove towards the tray. He didn't care anymore who was giving this to him, he needed it and he wouldn't be stubborn. There was a cup of water, just one cup, sitting in the center of the flat sheet of rock. Yami gulped it down, savoring every last drop and was happy to have relieved his parched throat. In a few minutes, his headache was gone and now he had to wait. But he was still weak from hunger and exhaustion. Soon, just as the man had promised, he returned. Now he was followed by two others.   
  
  
"Up!" barked the first man.  
  
  
Yami knew that he would probably be kicked if he didn't listen, so he tried to get to his feet. But halfway up he stumbled and fell with a groan.   
  
  
One of the men rushed forward and roughly pulled him up, as if he weighed as much as a feather.   
  
  
"Come on." With this, he grabbed the back of the Pharoah's shirt and made him stumble out of the chamber, into the much brighter hallway. Yami looked at the men. They were all clad in black and whites suits. Most likely, she had hired them all. Yami knew that his questions would soon have answers and he both looked forward to this, and dreaded it.   
  
  
After about five minutes of twisting corridors and rough pushing and dragging, they arrived in the great hall again. Just as it had been last night, there were guards on both sides, and sitting in the great golden throne, was Meera. Her face lit up as she saw the Pharaoh being dragged by her henchmen.   
  
  
"Bring him here. At my feet." Meera looked at his figure, limp now, but still muscular and beautifully tan. He had not lost his looks but he seemed different. Not as...soft? Perhaps her antics in the past had taught him a lesson.  
  
  
So I'm not hallucinating... thought Yami. He felt panic rising in him again. Just seeing the traitorous woman made dread wash over him like thick oil, covering him and keeping out the light. She was evil then, and she was evil now.The men pulled him over and held him with his arms behind his back. One of them kicked him so that his knees buckled and he fell forward, as if he was bowing in front of her. But he was still restrained. Now he was forced to look up.  
  
  
"My, last night, you looked so, shocked? I'm sure you have questions, but those will be answered in due time. Tonight I will have you brought to my chamber. Perhaps we can talk, there. I don't doubt that you are the same man that you used to be? Just not a pharaoh." Meera snickered.  
  
  
"How did you get here? You were dead!" exclaimed Yami, frantically, not wanting to believe anything.  
  
  
"Shhh..." Meera got off her throne and bent down. She held a finger to his lips and then started walking back and forth on the step.  
  
  
"I told you I'd answer later. Now I just want you to get aquainted. This, Yami, is my home. Ever since I came back. There are so many things I want to tell you! And I've used my powers since then! Many years ago, I was a mere...witch...but now I am a sorceress, Yami. Do you like magic tricks?"  
  
  
Yami gritted his teeth. "Stop playing games! Tell me why I'm here!"  
  
  
"I said, later." With that, Meera's eyes widened and Yami felt something happening to him. He felt his throat tighten, completely against his control, like an invisible hand was choking him. He found that he couldn't speak, could barely breath.  
  
  
"That's better," smiled Meera, looking down at the gasping pharaoh. "I will make you wait for the answers."  
  
  
Yami looked up at her with pleading eyes as the invisible grip on his throat tightened. He was still being held by the men.  
  
Meera seemed unmoved by his desperate look and just stared down at him with a stone gaze. After about a minute, she snapped her fingers and the hand disappeared. Yami gasped and was able to get air. For about thirty seconds she allowed him to breath before she started to speak again.  
  
  
"You see? You listen to ME now. You do as I say or you will not stay alive...as long." With this, she looked into his eyes and saw the spite in them. Those amythest eyes which she had always been a slave to...she would break his spirit.  
  
  
As though seized by a primal instinct, she took his chin in her hand and savagely kissed him once, closing her eyes, holding him still as he resisted. Yami was locked in the fiery kiss which sent warmth through his body, though he would rather be frozen than be exposed to this. They both remembered the taste of eachother from back when they were together; now Meera delighted in making him squirm and Yami loathed her touch. It was a way which she could show him who was in control...and something in her told her to do it. She had missed him, in a way...but now she was in it for revenge. When she pulled away, thoroughly satisfied with the look of hatred in his eyes, she motioned for the guards to take him back to his cell.  
  
  
After he was dragged off, Meera laughed to herself. "That was pleasant!"   
  
The only thing which she did not enjoy about that encounter was the fact that he still would not bend to her. She would have to fix that. The sorceress motioned for her second in command, a girl of about seventeen, who briskly walked over. Her name was Hapsheti and she was dressed in old, Egyptian garments, and wore many peices of jewelry and a chain around her neck with a small golden ball hanging from it. Her large, hoop earrings jingled when she walked. Wringing her hands together she asked politely, "Yes, Meera?"  
  
  
"Make sure that he gets no food tonight...and prepare the dragons."  
  
  
"Of course, Meera." The young girl walked away slowly. When she had seen the grief-stricken look on the prisoner's face she had felt instant remourse for him. But she could not tell this to Meera. She would be punished if she showed any mercy for the captive.   
  
Soon Hapsheti had arrived at the entrance to the dark halls, down which danger lurked. Meera had such a crazy idea in resurrecting those beasts. The dull roaring floated down the hall like beckoning calls. Hapsheti looked for a torch on the wall and took it out of it's holder. She chose the third hall, down which the greatest beasts walked. Cautiously, she preceded down the hall until she came to the very end. In huge stone cages in the middle of a gigantic room lay two dragons. They towered as high as the ceilings, but one was laying down peacefully. This dragon was black but his eyes, when open, were a beautiful shade of ruby. The other dragon was awake and calling loudly.   
  
This dragon's scales shown ivory and it's eyes were a shiny sapphire. As soon as it saw Hapsheti it shifted it's weight and bared two huge front fangs. Hapsheti was unphased by this display of teeth, she had been around these beasts for a very long time and she knew that these dragons would never hurt her. She fed them, and was basically like a mother. Meera only visited them when she desired to see them duel eachother. Proof of these duels were shown on their hides, where long, crooked white scars crisscrossed. The legendary Red Eyes Black Dragon and Blue Eyes White Dragon would normally never duel, but under Meera's roof, there was never peace.  
  
  
Hapsheti approached the Red Eyes's cage and slid through the wide bars. She walked over to the sleeping form and stroked the smooth scales. The dragon awoke and immediately drew itself to it's full height and stared down magestically at the small form below. It knew what it meant when Hapsheti came in the cages. It was time to duel.  
****  
  
  
"We should tell them."  
  
  
"Tell them? Why?!"  
  
  
"We need help and you know it Yuge. There's no way that we are gonna be able to find him by ourselves, and don't they deserve ta know?"   
  
  
"I guess so..." Yugi's voice trailed off. He and Joey had been thinking about the possibilities for two hours while snacking on Doritoes. Now they had come to the conclusion that they wouldn't go to the police until they knew he was either kidnapped or in danger, that he could have either left town, visited somewhere, was drunk in an alley or was in some sort of trouble. Yugi had grown panicky, for he had ruled out many of the possibilites and had called and re-called the museum to no avail. Joey had tried to keep him calm by cracking jokes and reassuring him that Yami was fine; he was capable of fending for himself. Now Joey saw that his friend was near the breaking point.  
  
  
"What if we never find him though? Even if we tell them it won't do us any good..." Yugi sighed deeply and now his eyes became glazed and he looked at the floor. He was fighting inside with himself; he didn't want to cry in front of Joey, but that's all he felt like doing. This worry was eating him alive and he just wished that his grandfather was back to help him...   
  
  
A single tear made it's way down his cheek and he stifled a sob. More tears welled up in his eyes and Joey frowned deeply. He sat next to Yugi on the couch and patted him on the back.  
  
  
"Hey, hey...please don't cry, we'll find him. Be tough. C'mon Yuge just relax."  
  
  
"I-I can't. Joey...will you tell them? I'll go call some more places where he might be," whispered Yugi in a shaky voice.  
  
  
"Hey, what are friends for? I'll invite everyone over here. Is that ok?"  
  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
  
"Alright. I'll be back."  
  
  
With another wistful look at his friend, Joey went into the kitched to call the others. Yugi blinked the tears out of his eyes and steeled himself. His frown turned into a serious expression and he sat back. He would find him. No matter what. And there was no way that he would let anyone get in the way.   
  
***  
Evil Meera! Good Yugi! Poor Yami! Please R&R! 


	7. Answers

Secrets revealed! I'm so glad this fic is doing good...one of the reviews made me so happy the other nite...I was like, wow! I'm loved!:-) Well anyway...on with the chapter...R&R, I don't own Yu-gi-oh, yadda yadda! Enjoy- the end is a cliffie;-)  
  
10-Answers  
  
"Welcome back, my good prince." Meera's mocking tone was like vinager in Yami's mouth. It had been two hours since he had been dragged to the main chamber, now, he was in her chamber. It was furnished beautifully with ancient pots filled with perfumes and red satin drapes which hung around a large bed. The golden walls were highly polished and the light reflected royally. A changing curtain was in the corner of the vast room and a statue of the ancient god Osiris had been erected near the bed. This bedroom would have been fit for a king. Yami had one of such calliber, but that was long ago.  
  
  
Meera was seated on the satin bed, swinging her legs back and forth. The guards had tied Yami's hands together behind his back and left him alone on the cold floor of the room. He had not been fed, which was Meera's wish and was beginning to grow dizzy again. As of now the pharaoh was on his knees, at the entrance to the room. Meera stayed seated.  
  
  
"I suppose you have questions?"  
  
  
Yami stared at her and answered quietly, "Yes."  
  
  
"They will be answered shortly. I just wanted to talk a little."  
  
  
"What do you want with me? At least tell me that." Yami spoke slowly, with no hint of worry in his voice.  
  
  
"Well, I have been resurrected for a reason. I took on the persona of Cara Far, but it was I whom you saw at the park. I was the cause of your period of weakness. Just thought you'd like a warning of what was to come. I have plans for you and the rest of this world. Did you like that kiss earlier? I felt it was fitting. We haven't seen eachother in SUCH a long time." She smiled contentedly to herself.  
  
  
"Meera, we aren't lovers anymore. You were dead. I don't understand how you're back, but you are. Tell me."  
  
  
"That is the last question that I will answer. It is the least important. To me, anyway."  
  
  
"What is this place?"  
  
  
"You don't recognize it?"  
  
  
"A temple of ancient Egypt. But it never belonged to me."  
  
  
"No, it didn't. It belongs to me now. But long ago, it belonged to your mother.   
The great queen."  
  
  
Yami had dim memories of his mother. He stayed quiet.  
  
  
"Yes...your mother. But that was when I was merely the princess of the Scorpion tribe. Now I am above you. Now I am my own queen...but don't worry. I will explain my plans to you. I am now a sorceress. You will listen to me."  
  
  
"You were a beginner in magic long ago...how did you perfect your skills?"  
  
  
"After you exiled me, I got help from one of your preists. It seems that no one was loyal in your kingdom, Yami."  
  
  
"You especially were traitorous. I trusted you, Meera."  
  
  
"Pity that you did. You were always stupid."  
  
  
Meera got off the bed and slinked over to the figure on the floor. She tilted his chin up and he roughly pulled his head away.   
  
  
"Bow to me," she said, in a venomous tone.  
  
  
This made Yami's blood boil. The hatred was rising.  
  
  
"Bow to me."  
  
  
"Never."  
  
  
"Still stuck on believing that you are a king? You're not. I'm your master now. Bow."  
  
  
Yami stared at her defiantly.  
  
  
"BOW!"  
  
  
"I thought you just wanted to talk?"  
  
  
Meera hissed through her teeth.   
  
  
"You will bend to me, Yami."  
  
  
With this, she snapped he fingers and Yami was brutally pulled to the ground by an invisible force. He cried out and struggled to get back up but was crushed to the floor in a painful manner. Meera smiled and laughed. She reached down and seized his hands behind his back. Jerking him up she put him on his feet again. Staring into his fiery eyes she sighed.   
  
  
"Please, don't resist me. It'll just hurt you."  
  
  
He closed his eyes and stood firm. "Meera, I will resist you until the sun falls from the sky, so get used to it. You can pull me down with your magic but I will never go down by my own free will."  
  
  
Meera nodded. "Exactly what I expected from a pharaoh. Now, let's go. I'll show you something that I think you will enjoy seeing."  
  
  
With this she walked forward, and when Yami didn't follow, snapped her fingers and let her magic do it's work. Pushed by more invisible hands, the King of Games stumbled after her.  
  
  
Meera led him out of her chamber and down many passageways, until at last, they had arrived in a vast arena, nearly as big as a football field, made of gray rock a hundred feet high. The two were standing in a sort of box, high above the floor.  
  
  
"The wonders of Egypt are great, are they not?" asked Meera, looking back at her surprised victim.  
  
  
"Yes..."  
  
  
Yami glanced down at a flat floor that reminded him very much of a duel monsters arena. Obviously this temple was immense. There were two openings onto the floor, from the left and right sides of the arena, which were shrouded in darkness. Torches lit the walls,ceiling and floor. It was quite a site.  
  
  
"Ready for the entertainment?"  
  
  
Meera called out to someone in ancient Egyptian, but Yami understood. She spoke the words, "bring them in."  
  
  
A slight tremor started as something roared far off. Then a young girl ran onto the floor. Hapsheti whistled loudly and the thudding started. Large feet made thunderous rumblings as the beasts moved down both tunnels. Yami was still held by the magic but he leaned further over the box and stared down at the floor.   
  
Suddenly, something lept from the right tunnel. A huge beat of white wings and a deafening roar sounded from the Blue Eyes White Dragon which took flight out of the tunnel. Hapsheti went for cover. Next, from the left tunnel, the Red Eyes Black Dragon catapulted into the air, screeching a piercing song and swiveling it's head to stare at the Blue Eyes. It careened upwards and lashed out with a fireball attack which rippled the air with unseen heat. The Blue Eyes struck back fiercely with it's claws, leaving a huge gash across the Red Eyes's shoulder. The black dragon plummeted towards the ground and then pulled itself out of it's descent gracefully, skimming the dirt floor. Then it whirled around again and landed a fireball right in the Blue Eyes's chest. The white beast roared in pain and fury and then powered itself up for its white lightning attack.   
  
  
Yami's mouth had fallen open. "What have you done?" he whispered.   
  
  
"Yami, don't you see?! They are beautiful! I have brought back the shadow games, resurrected some of the creatures. This is just the beginning!"  
  
  
"No, you've lost your mind! They'll kill you!"  
  
  
"I am their savior. They could not touch me."  
  
  
Yami pulled his wide eyes away and closed them tight, trying to imagine that none of this was real. So she was the cause of the Feral Imp, the Dragon, all the others...she was the cause of the attack on Yugi and Joey...   
  
  
Meera saw him and walked slowly over, talking over the din of the fighting dragons.   
  
  
"Shhhh...let me prove to you that they obey me..."  
  
  
With that she raised her hand and with a stifled scream, Yami was flung off the balcony, hurtling towards the ground below. He closed his eyes and thought, this is the end...   
  
  
Just then, Meera shouted, "Catch!" in ancient Egyptian and the mighty Blue Eyes pulled itself out of the battle and swooped down with lightening speed to catch Yami on it's back. The Pharaoh was still tied and was unable to hold on, but the dragon flew him back to Meera on the balcony. Yami leapt off of the beast and hit the ground hard. He lay there, not wanting to get back up.   
  
  
"See? They listen. More obediant than dogs. Much more obediant then you. Have you seen enough?"  
  
  
Yami groaned. His whole body was racked with pain and he made no move to get up.  
  
  
"Alright, let's go answer some more of your questions."  
  
  
With that, Meera again used her magic to lift Yami to his feet and then dragged him out of the arena.  
  
  
Hapsheti watched them go before she shouted to the dragons. They flew down to her...the battle was ended. Obediantly they marched off to their tunnels and dissapeared. Hapsheti sighed. When would it stop?  
****  
  
  
"Check the airports," said Tea, flipping through the phone book.  
  
  
"Why? He's not out of the country," argued Tristan. "You guys better not be yankin' our chain about this guy."  
  
  
"No, I assure you, they aren't." Bakura had made himself comfortable on the couch and was not at all surprised by what Joey had told them. After all, both he and Yugi had had some evidence of spirits inside them for a while now. It was only a matter of time   
before everyone knew.   
  
  
"I have one inside me as well, which you all have seen. Are you really that shocked?" asked Bakura.  
  
  
"Welllll, no." Tea was the first to admit that she too had always sensed something different about Yugi when he dueled. Yugi smiled at her.   
  
  
"Sooo, back to searching...I'm still very shocked...but the doesn't mean I can't help. Here are the list of airports that I've looked at." Tristan kicked back on a fat armchair and guzzled a sip of soda as he passed the papers to Yugi.  
  
  
"And??"  
  
  
"Well, everyone has had normal takeoffs. The only thing is, the old airport just outside of Domino had a newly scheduled takeoff."  
  
  
"Did they say to where?"  
  
  
"They said that they couldn't give the destination. I dunno. You can call 'em back if ya want." Tristan shrugged. He took another sip of soda.  
  
  
"Aren't you worried?" asked Tea.  
  
  
Tristan turned around. "Of course! But it's kinda hard to be worried when you've never seen the guy. I mean, if it was one of us..."  
  
  
"He is one of us."   
  
  
"Yeah, but..."  
  
  
"It's ok!" shouted Yugi. The last thing he wanted was an argument. "Back to   
checking. So basically, nothing out of the ordinary except a new departure?"  
  
  
"Pretty much. So I doubt he took a plane out of here. There are so many places that he could have gone...but not without ID or money. Do you think that he is in trouble?"  
  
  
"I think so." Joey spoke up suddenly. "Yeah, that guy, when I saw him, he saved me and Yugi. Wouldn't let us out of his site. He even walked me home! So there is no way that he would have just "up and left" Yugi without being forced to. He cares too much."  
  
  
Everyone nodded.  
  
  
"Ok, so he's in trouble...we've gotta retrace his steps," said Tea in a stern tone.  
  
  
"Easier said than done..." mumbled Yugi. He glanced outside. The sun was already setting, the group had been thinking all day. He sighed in desperation and slid into the chair. Despite the cheery remarks from his friends he knew that this could be a lost cause....Yami...where are you?  
  
  
****  
  
  
Back in Meera's bedroom chamber, after the duel between the dragons, a vicious exchange of words was in progress. Yami was again kneeling on the floor, tied by the ropes and Meera's magic. She was pacing the room.  
  
  
"You've gone insane Meera. The shadow games nearly destroyed the earth!"  
  
  
"Who are you to lecture me?"  
  
  
"I know what happens when power gets in the wrong hands."  
  
  
"I should kill you now."  
  
  
"Do it. Spare me."  
  
  
"I would never spare you Yami. Did you appreciate the battle?"  
  
  
"You were cruel to those creatures. They'll turn on you eventually."  
  
  
"Never. I am like a mother to them. But listen, they were magnificent, were they not?"  
  
  
"Will you answer my question if I answer yours?"  
  
  
"What is your question?"  
  
  
"How did you come back?"  
  
  
Meera sighed and shook her head. "So stubborn." Then she walked over to him, bent down and whispered in his ear.  
  
  
"Do you really want to know?"  
  
  
Yami pulled away. "Stop playing."  
  
  
"Fine." With this the sorceress stood up and called gently, "He wishes to see you now."  
  
  
Someone, stepped lightly from the shadows in a far corner of the vast chamber. He was dressed in a white robe and dark pants. A large amount of brown hair cascaded in front of his blue eyes and he brushed it back with a smile. Stepping forward into the light he raised his arms and laughed loudly, "Miss me?"  
  
  
Yami stared in complete shock at Seto Kaiba, standing smugly in front of him.  
  
**  
Muahah! Cliff hanger! Stay tuned for the next chapter:-) 


	8. Surprises and Searches

Back again! Sry for the delay...and the cliffhanger! *insert evil laugh here* In this chapter there are a few references to money and I am not all too familiar with Yen, so if I make a mistake, I'm very sorry. Also, remember that I changed the way monsters were summoned in the shadow games. Summoning DOES occur in this chappie:-P Well enjoy, and all you Kaiba fans, don't be mad that I made him a little ruthless!  
  
11-Surprises and Searches  
  
"How much ya' got?"  
  
  
"Not enough."  
  
  
Tristan and Yugi were sitting on Yugi's bed, counting change out for the trip around Domino. The plan was to go into town and check all the places that he could have gone to, ask as many questions as possible and eventually take a taxi to the small airport as a last alternative. The two boys were guessing at the fair for a taxi, when Tea came up the stairs with an annoyed expression on her face.  
  
"Joey will DIE."  
  
  
"Why?!" Yugi turned to look at her, tossing some change onto the bed for Tristan to count.   
  
  
"Yugi, he's not exactly helping. All he's doing is sitting there and annoying the crap out of me."  
  
  
"How?"  
  
  
"Don't ask me how! He just is. We have GOT TO get out into town before I take a kitchen knife to him."  
  
  
"What is he saying?"  
  
  
"I don't wanna talk about it. But anyway, where are we at?"  
  
  
"We need all the money and help we can get."  
  
  
Tea sighed deeply and dropped herself heavily into onto the bed next to Yugi.   
  
  
"Oh."  
  
  
Yugi liked the nearness of her. It made him feel more confident. He pulled his eyes away from her face and took the crumpled money in his hand.  
  
  
"This is what we got," he smiled, handing it to her.  
  
  
Tea looked up and took the money. Counting it out, she mumbled to herself and then dug into her pocket. She withdrew some change and a folded bill.  
  
  
"Ok, here. We can ask the others if they have any to."  
  
  
"Good idea. Thanks, Tea."  
  
  
He looked into her eyes and smiled. For a second he was lost and completely forgot about his situation. Then Tristan brought him back to reality.   
  
  
"Yugi, hey, lets go."  
  
  
Tea got up and offered a hand. "Come on Yugi."  
  
  
The three left the room with the money and odd amount of change and went downstairs to begin the search.  
****  
  
  
"Kaiba?"  
  
  
"Yes, don't look so surprised. I was thinking of what to address you as. Yugi? The other-Yugi? Yugi-boy? Or just, pharaoh."  
  
  
Meera laughed quietly and then walked over to Kaiba, who glanced at her and then grinned.   
  
  
"Call him, slave." Meera pointed at Yami and once again the magic came from her fingers and wrapped around him. He was forced to slowly bow again.  
  
  
"No, no, we won't be cruel." Kaiba took her hand in his and Yami was released.   
"Let's just explain. Maybe he won't hate me if he knows why. But he probably will. Who knows." Kaiba looked briefly down at Yami and then started to speak. His deep, cold voice filled the room.  
  
  
"After Yugi defeated me with Exodia, when we first dueled, I was in shock. I had no clue as to how an amateur had defeated me, I figured that the "heart of the cards" must have been true. For a while, I believed this and went on going by it. Then, I faced Yugi that day at Pegasus' rooftop. That battle where I forced his hand. I remembered how he was winning again, how he was assuring himself a victory and I was crushed. But when I took those steps onto the edge and waited for him to move, I noticed something. He was struggling to do the right thing, but something, SOMEONE, was fighting him. At least that was what it seemed. His face, I will never forget it. When he called out to attack I almost fell off from shock, it wasn't like him. When Tea came and shouted to him, his face changed, it seemed he had won some other battle, and ordered the attack to stop. He spared me, but fell to the ground, crying like a baby."  
  
  
Yami's face darkened and he gritted his teeth. Kaiba went on.  
  
  
"I knew that he couldn't be crying over the duel. He would still find a way to make it into the castle. I expected him to. He was crying about something else. Well, some few months after the tournament ended, and my soul was returned, I found Mai Valentine and we got to talking. She told me about that day, for I expressed my "guilt" over it. She said that he was babbling on about some "spirit" that he was afraid of which was inside of him and was completely zoned out. This intrigued me. Thus I went to work, recounting our battles, trying to remember what he had done during the course of it. I remembered that he always carried a strange puzzle around his neck and whenever his strange pyramid puzzle glowed, he seemed taller, different and more confident. I thought I was crazy, there is no such thing as a different person. But nothing was out of the ordinary any more, after my soul was taken. So you see, I researched this puzzle on a hunch and found an ancient writing about "a pharaoh imprisoned within a mystical Millennium puzzle." The translation was more wordy, but lets not get into it. I doubted that this puzzle was the same that Yugi had, but with my power, I knew that I could get the answers if I wanted them. So I had my men contact the Egyptian board of Archeology and get a list of all the archeological digs in the past year. I found that someone with the last name Mutuo received an Egyptian artifact. I was completely surprised because I did not expect that this could be the same puzzle. So I did more research and found many prophecies and eventually came across a strange person, some witch or gypsy or something from Egypt."  
  
"She told me about this "pharaoh" trapped in the puzzle. This "pharaoh" was a king of games-completely unbeatable. She claimed that she had scene the writings but didn't know if they were true. I didn't know if I could trust her, but I had to know how Yugi always defeated me. If someone more experienced helped him, he could win. So that is how I came to thinking about you, the pharaoh."   
  
"This mystery woman helped me, for a price. She told me that if you want answers about someone old, you have to get someone old. By sponsoring an archeological dig, my team unearthed something which lead us to where we are today, an ancient slab dating back to an early dynasty, telling about you, pharaoh, and your ancient lover. My translators worked day and night to find this out. I figured that the lover would know plenty about the Pharaoh and asked the woman how we could find out more about her. She said that all dead could be resurrected and that that was how we would get the lover back. I thought this was totally crazy but I went with it. According to this woman, anything that the dead had connection to could help bring them back. The slabs about this mystery lover said that she dueled with the "fire dragon." I knew that there were games back then, and because the cards today were derived from the monsters of the past, I decided I had to find a "fire dragon." Sure enough, I unearthed the card, "Darkfire Dragon." This was the connection."   
  
  
"Don't ask me how she did it, but this person helped me bring back the dead. Using witchcraft, she was able to resurrect the spirit into the Darkfire Dragon card, much like you were preserved in the Millennium Puzzle. Meera was this ancient lover, and after she came back, I helped her catch up on the times. The woman left, without a trace."  
  
"Meera was like a miracle to me and I taught her about the world. I didn't know how long she'd last but I knew that I had to make her feel at home. So, with more help from my team of archeologists I discovered this temple and built her the perfect home. Sure enough, she knew you, after she recollected her memory. And she wanted revenge. It seems that some mages that you banished to the desert hundreds of years ago were her brothers. And that is why she betrayed you once you fell in love with her. So you see, she was willing to carry out her revenge again after she knew that you were still around."  
  
"I now fully believed that you inhabited Yugi's puzzle, and you were the cause of my downfall. So I have come for you. I hired those kidnappers and had you brought here after I discovered that you could leave the puzzle. I hired many trusted men to come with me here and serve as body guards and helpers. Anything for Meera. Meera wishes to get revenge on you, and with you out of the picture, Yugi will never beat me again. So we both win. I have to be the best dueler. You see, this is strictly business. And it is not murder if you are killing someone who shouldn't exist."  
  
  
Yami was speechless. He couldn't talk and he felt as if he would pass out. Meera's brothers were those mages? A mystery woman? Resurrection? The dreams came back to him and he turned to look at Meera. As if she knew what he was thinking about she smiled and spoke.  
  
  
"I sent you those dreams, as a warning. My brothers were those mages. You killed them, Yami. That's why I betrayed you and got close to you many many MANY years ago. So I'm back now! Seto resurrected the right person. He resurrected a sorceress. Together, we are capable of so much."  
  
  
"Yes, we are. And you, I'll call you pharaoh, does Yugi know about the Millenium Puzzle? Does he know what happens when he duels?"  
  
  
  
Yami mustered up the words and spoke slowly, "How could he not? If _you_ figured out that I existed within the puzzle, then he must have...But Kaiba...how could you? Are you truly that obsessed with being unbeatable?"  
  
  
Kaiba laughed, eerily and cold. "I am also helping Meera. You forget."  
  
  
Meera looked at him and smiled devilishly. "Yes! And I have so much more to do. I'll be off tending to the monsters. You two boys can talk things out."  
  
  
With that, Meera left.   
  
  
"So why haven't you killed me yet?"  
  
  
"Hmm?" Kaiba turned around. He had been watching Meera leave.  
  
  
"I don't know. Meera wants you dead more than I. If you were locked up I wouldn't care. As long as you are out of my way. No one gets in my way."  
  
  
"Kaiba, I thought you were changed."  
  
  
"No, by sending the dark half of me away, you did open my mind. But I will stop at nothing to be the champion. Yugi may have spared me, but you were willing to knock me off the edge that day at the battle. So I would never hurt Yugi. But you shouldn't even exist. I will keep Mokuba proud and safe and stay on top, whatever it takes."  
  
  
"You will never make Mokuba proud by doing this just to be the best. Please, think Kaiba! Do you know what you have done? She is trying to resurrect the shadow games! They nearly destroyed the earth years ago."  
  
  
Kaiba froze for a second and then smiled again. It seemed that he was a bit worried about this and had tried to recover his coolness before Yami saw his unease.  
  
  
"Whatever she wants. That will never happen. As soon as the business is taken care of, I will go back to tending to KaibaCorp."  
  
  
"Kaiba! Please! Listen, I'll never get through to her. But you, you must believe me. This isn't right. She's evil!"  
  
  
"I only wanted answers, I know. This is more than I bargained for but now that I found her, I won't abandon her." Kaiba frowned. "I never knew it would come to this but I can't reverse anything."  
  
  
"Yes, you can! Find that woman, have her send Meera back!"  
  
  
"No! Stop now!"  
  
  
"Kaiba, how can you be so cold? You would really let her kill me just so you can be on top?"  
  
  
"I just went through this. Goodbye."  
  
  
Kaiba walked out of the room, and Yami was left alone in the middle of the fire-lit floor. He breathed heavily and was blinded by rage and helplessness. Here was where he missed Yugi and his friends the most. Just as Kaiba had taught Meera, Yugi had taught Yami so much since he had put together that puzzle that day. How had Kaiba found out so much? It was nearly impossible. But it was happening and Yami was completely alone and almost...frightened. Kaiba will never be strong enough to control her...  
  
The Pharaoh watched the fire light reflected on the floor flicker and dance. His mind was boggled and worn out. Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him. Turning his head, he saw a young girl. Hapsheti had been listening for some time behind the wall, even though she knew all of this. Meera had caught her as she was leaving and ordered her to take the pharaoh back to his room. Now, she walked slowly, cautiously, glancing around like a meek little mouse. Then she approached Yami.  
  
  
"The mistress sent me to bring you back to your cell. She said if you didn't cooperate to use this." The girl held up a flask of liquid. "But I don't want to."  
  
  
Yami thought that this must be Meera's servant. He went back to staring at the floor.   
  
  
"What is it?"  
  
  
"I'm not sure, but I was hoping you would just cooperate."  
  
  
"Alright." There was no use in fighting. Yami got to his feet with much effort. Even though his hands were tied, he was able to.   
  
  
Slowly she gestured for him to follow her. Like an obedient dog, he was trailing Hapsheti down the corridors back to his cell. She watched him the whole way. Yami had nearly lost the will to try due to the latest news so he made no moves to escape. Finally, they had arrived in front of the stone door. Hapsheti called some men over and they pushed it open. Then they briskly went back to their business somewhere else. She lead him into the cell and walked in behind him. It was very dark and cold in this room and Hapsheti felt horrible for having to make him stay, just standing there, alone.When the girl was sure that no one could hear, she shook him so that he wasn't looking at the ground anymore. He turned to her, puzzled, wondering why she hadn't left. She looked into his eyes.  
  
  
"Are you hungry?" Hapsheti knew she could be in trouble but she had to. He looked so miserable.   
  
  
Yami was shocked by this strange question. It was almost abnormal to hear a positive comment now. It was unreal in a cruel place like this.  
  
  
"Yes, I am," he said in disbelief. Yami could think of no better way to answer. He wouldn't lie.  
  
  
Hapsheti knew the answer anyway. She could see it in his eyes. She seized a knife from her pocket and cut his bonds. Then, reaching her hand into a small pouch which she had drawn the flask from, she withdrew a cloth bulging with something. Gently taking his hand in hers, she placed the cloth into his fingers and closed them over it.  
  
  
"Take it. Please."  
  
  
Yami looked at her and his eyes brightened. "Thank you."   
  
  
Hapsheti smiled and turned to go. Yami was still staring after her, touched by her kindness. She walked slowly, and then left, calling the men over again to close the door. Her face was the last thing that Yami saw before the darkness crept over the room again.  
***  
  
  
Yugi kicked a stone and it clattered off the sidewalk into the storm drain below. They had been walking for hours, from store to store, street to street, searching for clues, leads, asking questions, checking possibilities. The gang was tired out. Joey and Tristan had fallen out of their talkative moods and now were exchanging words less frequently. They just walked with heads down, Joey counting the lines in the sidewalk and Tristan going over everything in his mind. Bakura was polite (as usual) but even his patience was wearing thin. He thrust his hands into his pockets and sighed deeply. Yugi sauntered along next to him and Tea was in the lead, ever vigilant. She looked this way and that, watching for stores which they hadn't visited. Finally, Bakura spoke up.  
  
  
"Yugi, I hate to say it, but it's getting late." He glanced off at the setting sun glinting off the tops of the buildings. It was already 7:00. "We have to get home in an hour or so, Yugi. Tomorrow's school, even if it is the last day before our little break. We should catch the taxi to the airport."  
  
Bakura was right. Yugi knew that his friends had been working hard all day. He looked up at his loyal companions and nodded. Glumly, the group sat down on the nearest bench and waited for a taxi to come by.   
  
  
"Guys, thanks for helping." Yugi did a sort of bow and smiled at each of them.  
  
  
"Your welcome, Yuge, anything for a pal." Joey brushed his hair out of his eyes and squinted against the glare of the sun. He turned to Yugi and patted his shoulder. "For a short kid, you walk pretty fast."  
  
  
"Hey!" Yugi playfully tried to beam Joey with is arm but missed. This got the group to laugh a little bit. Before they knew, it a taxi pulled around the corner and Tea called out to it. The driver glanced over and then stopped the car. Yugi trotted up to the window, flashing the money.  
  
  
"Where would you like to go?" asked the driver. He pushed his horn rimmed glasses over the bridge of his nose so he could see better.  
  
  
"Domino Airport. The old one."  
  
  
"Outside of town?"  
  
  
"Yes."  
  
  
"Alright, get in."  
  
  
The group squeezed uncomfortably into the taxi and Yugi handed the driver the money. As he settled back in, squeezed between Bakura and the door, he felt something pressing into his side and back. It was the puzzle, which had swung it's ostentatious-self behind Yugi so that it pressed into him. It was a sort of painful reminder that it was still there. It was also a painful reminder of Yami. Yugi took the puzzle in his hands and pryed it from behind him, fastening it securely where he could see it again. The gold sparkled in the pinkish sunlight and Yugi felt strangely calm. It was as if the puzzle was telling him that he was doing the right thing. It's perfect shape and form, it was completely smooth, no rough edges, no dull spots. It's shimmering surface had no chips, much unlike Yugi's life.   
***  
  
"Why is it looking at me like that?"  
  
  
Kaiba was standing firmly next to the cage of the Blue Eyes White Dragon, which was staring down at him with an air of annoyance. It didn't like these meddling little humans always staring at it. The Blue Eyes had a sudden urge to lash out with it's tail, even though he knew that the bars would hold him.   
  
The Red Eyes Black Dragon was snoozing in it's cage. It was the docile one out of the two. Probably because Hapsheti visited it more and it had learned to listen to the humans it liked and ignore the humans which proved useless to it. Kaiba was one of these aforementioned humans. He only came to look at the white dragon, and Red Eyes had no liking for him.  
  
  
Kaiba watched the great white beast shift it's weight from foot to foot and he heard it rumble deep in it's throat. The Blue Eyes had been staring down the young CEO ever since he had come into the room to see it. Kaiba simply wished to visit the dragon but it wanted no part with him. Meera was in the corner of the room, feeding a new member of the dragon family, a Petit Dragon of mustard color which fluttered about a short steel cage. The bigger dragons had no interest for it, although the Blue Eyes had many thoughts of using it as a chew toy.  
  
  
Meera turned around slowly and placed her hands on her hips.   
  
"The Blue Eyes doesn't like just anybody."  
  
  
"And why is that?" Kaiba turned away from the dragon and faced the young woman.   
  
  
"It's a wild beast. I told you that when resurrected, these monsters are never as obedient as the card versions."  
  
  
"Yes..."  
  
Kaiba was still unsure of how she had brought this beast back, ANY of these beasts back, and to be honest, he was still believing that they could not be real. Meera could see that Kaiba still felt that cards held power. They didn't. Only real things had power. These beasts were capable of so much and obviously, he didn't recognize this yet. To him, they were just toys and he was used to playing with his holograms. Meera knew that she cared for Kaiba, but sometimes he could act so childish. Underneath that mature and cruel persona, he was innocent. He did not know REAL power yet. That is why he could stand in front of a Blue Eyes White Dragon and not be frightened. He did not know what it was capable of.  
  
  
Meera knew deep down that if it ever got out it would be a very good match for her, even with her powers. So she always kept a wary eye on it. It was by no means, harmless.   
  
  
That is when the memories hit her. Meera started to remember her first duels, the first time she had ever seen a monster being summoned, and a monster of true power.   
  
  
Such as the time she had dueled Yami and he had summoned the Dark Magician. It radiated power and she was frightened. _Kaiba_ was yet to be frightened.   
  
  
"Would you like me to have a monster summoned? You can watch the ceremony."  
  
  
Kaiba's face lit up. He looked like a little boy in a candy store. But _this_ candy store consisted of dangerous beasts.   
  
  
Trying to act mature, Kaiba stifled his happiness and just nodded. "Of course. That would be interesting."  
  
  
With that, Meera took his hand and led him out into the main hall. They stood there until a few servants briskly walked over to the throne and kneeled on the steps below Meera. That was one thing that she had forgotten to mention to Yami. The servants.   
  
  
When the woman had resurrected her from her tomb, everyone who was buried with her was brought back as well. This meant that a handful of mages and Hapsheti were brought back to life with Meera. They were told nothing and still lead to believe that they were under her command and were destined to do whatever she pleased.  
  
  
An older man kneeled on the stairs below her. He looked up with tired eyes and asked,   
  
  
"Your majesty, shall we prepare the ceremony? Is that what you would like?"  
  
  
"Yes...how about a dragon? Bring me a dragon."  
  
  
The man nodded and left. Meera sat in her throne and Kaiba stayed standing.   
  
  
"They'll be a few minutes," she spoke. "They have to have time to prepare the pentagram and the insense and ingredients for the summoning."  
  
  
Kaiba nodded and stayed staring straight ahead as a group of mages filed into the room, all holding metal containers filled with sweet smelling incense and perfumes. They went to the center of the room and stood around the pool which Meera had emerged from when Yami had first arrived. By dumping the contents of the metal containers into the warm pool, the scents drifted easily about the room. Then the mages started to trace a pentagram in lavender powder on the floor. As one mage recited ancient Egyptian prayers, the others started to chant. Meera smiled from ear to ear. This was always her favorite thing to watch. Of course, the mages remembered the prayers, considering it was all they did in the old days. And just because they were newly reborn didn't mean that they would forget everything, like Yami had.   
  
  
Soon the mages all backed away from the pentagram and kneeled down on the floor. They tossed handfuls of flower petals from their pockets onto it and around the symbol and kept chanting. Kaiba could hear a faint rumbling and a strange, oppressing heat was filling the room. The hot air bombarded into his lungs and he yearned for a cool breath, but had to see what would emerge. As the tension and chanting became more powerful, a slightly reddish mist started to float just around the pentagram. Kaiba watched with curiosity and his mouth was slightly open. He was in rapt attention.  
  
  
Meera liked impressing him, because not much did. This was the first incidence he had had enough time to actually see a summoning.   
  
  
Suddenly there was a loud rumble and the ground started to quake. Kaiba grabbed the throne and held on as the earthquake continued. Then the mages' voices were drowned out by a deafening screech. Standing on top of the pentagram, enshrouded in red smoke was a great dragon, brownish-red in color, chained around the neck. It roared and stretched it's wings out as if it had been cramped in a cage for many days. It's eyes flew from person to person and finally locked on Meera.  
  
  
She had gotten off the throne and walked down a step to be eye to eye with the beautiful creature. This creature was the Harpy Ladies' Pet Dragon, and right now it didn't look like much of a pet. It started to draw back it's lips to reveal straight white teeth and it's sharp beak looked even more menacing. As it flapped it's wings once, Kaiba took a step backward. The dragon's tail lashed out behind it and the mages ran for cover. Kaiba was wondering how on earth they had contained the summoned Blue Eyes.   
  
Meera jumped from the steps onto the ground below the beast. It glared down and then, as if it had had a change of heart, closed it's beak and bent it's neck low enough so that it could see Meera eye to eye once again. She stroked the creatures muzzle and head and it closed it's great shimmering eyes. Then Meera pointed towards a large dark entrance to a hallway, and like a zombie, the dragon stomped slowly towards it, never turning around. It disappeared into the hallway and continued walking.   
  
  
"H-how did you do that?" stammered Kaiba.  
  
  
"I have my ways. It listens when you show it a little power."  
  
  
Kaiba regained his composure and joined her on the floor. The mages were busy wiping up the pentagram and running back to their duties.  
  
  
"So that is how you summoned the beasts in the days of Egypt?"  
  
  
"No. It was much quicker. When the beasts were summoned to battle they hardly ever took their time. They were fierce and quick and ruthless."  
  
  
Kaiba had been afraid for a moment but now he was inspired by the dragon's power.   
  
  
"I wish to see more of this. Thank you Meera."  
  
  
She smiled up at him. Hopefully now he will respect my monsters...  
  
***  
Well that's it! Please R&R, hope you liked:-) 


	9. A Test of Strength

Back again, sorry for the delay! Lately I've had tons of homework and no time to write fics:-( But the important part is, I found a weekend to write this chapter. Actually, this chapter was one of my favs to write, because there's a lot of action etc. :-) And at the end- CLIFFHANGER! Enjoy, and as always..R&R!  
  
The food hadn't lasted him long. It had taken Yami just as long to open the parcel as it took for him to eat the food. Now he sat against the cold stone with his eyes closed. He had lost track of time. Was it night? Or was it day? At least it wasn't hot. In this little cell, however dark, it was always cool. All of the temples in ancient Egypt had been designed that way, to keep in as much cool air as possible. But Yami could not dwell on the past. The present was now and he was in mortal danger. And he knew that Meera would be back for him, but he did not know when or what was in store for him when she returned. Perhaps, to pass the time, he could try to find a way out? Yami stood up and walked along the wall, touching the stone with his fingers, trying to find a crack, or a secret door or something. But that would be stupid of Meera to leave him in a room where he could get out. His eyes were adjusted to the darkness now and he could see the faint outline of the stone door, illuminated very faintly by the firelight outside. But he was unable to find any door handle. It was hopeless. Sitting back down, he waited and listened for someone to come and free him.  
  
After what seemed like a millenia, Yami heard the sound of voices, in Ancient Egyptian, outside his door. It slid open and he was instantly blinded by the light of firelight and, unbelievably, sunlight from outside his prison. Meera, illuminated like an angel, stood in the door way. The guards stood around her, like statues, without emotion or pity. Yami saw Hapsheti far behind her, hidden in the shadows of the big men. A faint glimpse of hope shot through him, like a shiver, when seeing her face. She could be his ticket out. But then Meera's voice broke the hope, ripping his mind back to the situation at hand.   
  
  
"Come out here."  
  
  
Yami glared at her and stood. Slowly, he walked towards her and she smiled.  
  
  
"Oh, you are obeying now?"  
  
  
"Even if I don't listen, I'll be dragged. I might as well just do as you say, and cause myself less pain."  
  
  
"That's the smart pharoah I knew." Meera smirked and motioned for him to follow. As soon as he stepped out of the cell, the men pulled around him like a wall, blocking all exits. He stole a glance at Hapsheti who kept looking straight ahead. She couldn't look at him, she wasn't allowed to talk to the captive. But that rule had already been broken. Meera lead them back to the giant dueling arena, and the men splayed out on all sides of the entrance. Yami noticed that they all carried guns. But they didn't even look over. Meera turned to him and then used her magic to pull him to her.  
  
  
"What-what are you doing?" asked Yami, worried and confused.  
  
  
"I've arranged a little entertainment."  
  
  
"What is it?"  
  
  
"You. I want to see your strength, pharaoh. You look at me as if there is still hope for you, you still fight back against everything. Let's just see how you stand up against my monsters."  
  
  
Yami's stomach turned into a knot.   
  
  
"Now go!"  
  
  
The magic pulled Yami down, more like FLOATED him over the banister onto the ground twenty feet below Meera and the guards. As soon as he was on the ground, free of the magic, he looked around. There was no exits except for the two tunnels where the dragons had emerged from before. And he didn't want to know what was down there. Looking back up at his captor, he gritted his teeth.  
  
  
"Are you scared?" she taunted.  
  
  
He refused to answer and just watched the dark tunnel in front of him. Which beast would he fight? If it was anything as powerful as the dragons summoned earlier, he would be dead as quick as it had taken him to finish the food that Hapsheti had given him earlier. But he couldn't show weakness. He had to stay strong. Finally, the dreaded thudding came from the tunnel behind him. He turned around, expecting the worst. The dueling ground was about as long as a baseball field so he could run, but the beast would surely catch him. And why was he thinking of running?   
  
  
Meera watched contentedly from the balcony above. Hapsheti stood next to her, with a solemn look on her face.   
  
  
"Meera?"  
  
  
"What is it?" snapped the sorcereress, still smiling over the banister.  
  
  
"What beast will he fight?"  
  
  
"You'll see."  
  
  
Suddenly a loud noise, like that of a wild and angry bull came from the tunnel and filled the room. Yami stepped back as the Battle Ox emerged from the darkness, weilding a sharp and powerful ax, swinging his head from side to side as if he were plagued with madness. The beast saw Yami, snorted and started to charge. The pharaoh froze. He had no idea how to fight something like that. But the beast was closing in the distance fast and he had to decide. Run, or fight? Before he could choose, the Battle Ox was before him, pulling it's ax above it's armored head, ready to split him in two. Yami jumped back just as the blade sliced through the air where he had stood. The Ox roared in anger and ran forward again, body slamming Yami onto the ground, following it up by grazing Yami's cheek with his ax. The King of Games felt pain flood through him and blood come down his face but he got up as the blade once again barely missed him. It was now stuck in the dirt ground and the Battle Ox pulled with all of it's strength to wrench it back out.   
  
  
Meera laughed with delight from the banister.   
  
  
"How are you feeling?" she shouted down. The pharaoh didn't hear. The Battle Ox was landing blow after blow into the air, barely missing everytime. Yami's movements were like a cat's, dodging stealthily and leaping out of harm's way, angering the great bull. Yami's mind had only focused on one thing, staying alive. His insticts took over and the adreniline in his nimble body made him quicker and stronger. The bull could see this and it's red eyes widened in rage. It was growing annoyed of swinging and missing.   
  
  
"Tired?" Yami smirked. The bull's shoulders heaved up and down. Roaring, it charged forward and swung it's ax, to no avail. The Pharaoh narrowed his eyes. He saw something in the distance, near the entrance to the tunnel...a coiled chain. Darting forward he ran with all his speed to the chain and snatched it up, whirling around to face the bull. The creature was already apon him and it went for another slice. The Pharoah yelled and jumped back, swinging the chain out to wrap around the ax. He wrenched it from the bull's hands and the beast bellowed loudly. Yami pulled the ax loose from his chain and stood poised, ready to give the bull a taste of it's own medicine. But the Battle Ox lunged out physically, knocking the wind out of Yami with it's massive fist before he could swing. He crumpled onto the ground and gasped for breath. Even though he could barely breath his mind still worked and he knew that this was his chance. The bull was stupid, he could tell. He lay still, playing dead, closing his eyes.   
  
  
Hapsheti stifled a gasp from the balcony. Was he dead!? Meera was still smiling, but she was surprised that the Pharoah had lasted so long. She knew he wasn't dead. Still, she watched. She didn't want him killed by the hand of the ox, so she WOULD stop it if it threatened to kill him. After all, this was only a test of strength. But it was almost over, she wold stop the beast, and just as she had expected, he would be broken and beaten.  
  
  
Yami felt the hot breath of the monster on his body as the bull sought to find life still left in the Pharaoh. But Yami had to wait, his hand still clenched on the handle of the sharp ax, concealed under him. He was on his side and was laying on the hand with the ax. The beast seemed satisfied but wasn't going to just leave his prey. It bellowed again and then lifted it's fist. It would finish the job here. Just as it was about to give Yami the final blow, the Pharaoh rolled over and plunged the ax deep into the beast's exposed abdomen. It froze with a grunt and then fell slowly forward. Yami got out of the way and stood up panting, staring down coldly at the dead creature below him. He had won. Turning his gaze away from the Battle Ox, he stood facing the balcony, the blood still coming down his face.   
  
  
"Meera! Now you see that you will not break me as easily as you think!" His strong voice struck Meera and she drew back from the banister angrily. The beast hadn't been half the challenge she had expected it to be. Grumbling she told Hapsheti to make sure that he got back to his cell, and to clean up the mess. She had to go see Seto Kaiba.  
  
  
Yami smiled slowly. He had won, not only against the Battle Ox, but it was also a victory over Meera. Wiping the blood away from his cheek with the back of his hand, he looked up at Hapsheti. She glanced down and then went away from the banister. That was close...he could have been killed. Thank god... Even though Hapsheti was happy for the moment, she had to act loyal to Meera, and ordered the guards to retrieve Yami, and bring him back to his cell.  
***  
  
  
"Well? What happened?"  
  
  
Meera stormed into Kaiba's chamber and paced angrily around.   
  
  
  
  
"He killed it!"  
  
  
"How did he do that?" Kaiba was talking on his cellphone to one of his executives.   
  
  
  
Right now Kaiba was on a "temporary vacation in hawaii with a few of his highest in command." Everyone bought the stupid excuse. But what was he supposed to tell them? That he resurrected an ancient Egyptian sorceress who was trying to bring back some strange games that threatened to take over the world? And that he was trying to become the best duelist by eliminating competition that died hundreds of years ago?   
  
  
  
"He found a chain that we used to tie the dragons down and pulled the ax from the thing's hands and then stabbed him with it after playing dead."  
  
  
"I told you not to underestimate him."  
  
  
Meera drew in a sharp breath, as if to snap back a comment but she let it out slowly.   
  
  
"I'm well aware of everything he is capable of."  
  
  
"If you're worried why don't you get it over with?"  
  
  
"Time, Seto. When it is time..."  
  
  
Now it was Kaiba's turn to be annoyed. He looked over with a displeased look on his face. No one told him what to do, or when to do it. He knew he was right.   
  
  
The call was over and he snapped his cell phone shut and turned to look at Meera. She was tracing the lines on the pillar that held up the ceiling in his room.   
  
  
"Seto..."  
  
  
"Yes?"  
  
  
"Even if I kill him..."  
  
  
"What?"  
  
  
"The Millenium Puzzle. We have to destroy it. And the darkness which he sealed away years ago in those seven items is still trapped. Without the seven items the monsters will never be as powerful."  
  
  
"Meera...the Millenium items are scattered throughout the globe." That wasn't the only reason Kaiba couldn't let her get the items. Yugi had one, and Yugi was his friend, no matter how much he would deny it. Plus, how could these shadow games be real? He knew he was getting in over his head, but Kaiba's situation was tricky. His mind told him that something as great as an apocolypse was pure fiction. Surely, Meera could not cause this?   
  
  
"I'll find them!"   
  
  
"Meera, I can't allow you to do that."  
  
  
She turned to look at him now, glaring. "What did you say? Has that fool been talking to you about the games? Don't be soft on me now, Seto. Don't betray me."  
  
  
"I brought you back from the dead Meera, but I can't help you do this. I just want to duel. Before, I thought that this was unreal. I was in shock. But now I'm actually believing that you might pull this off!"  
  
  
"Seto, you underestimated me as well!"  
  
  
"Yes! I never meant for it to come to this." Kaiba stood up and faced her.   
  
  
"Foolish boy."  
  
  
With that, Meera left. Kaiba stood completely dumbfounded. He was totally unsure as of what to do. He had to send her back. Somehow. He didn't want Yami's words to get to him but now everything was really sinking in. What was he doing?   
  
****  
  
  
Meera paced angrily around her room. It was nearing dusk, and the sun was just setting in the Egyptian sky. Lines of pink shot through the cloudless atmosphere, and the bright orange globe of sunlight was a beautiful site to be sceen. Meera was watching it through her window. He has passed the test. Now, I can do what I have been waiting for. The whole while she had preached about killing Yami, her real intentions were masked beneath her hate. Deep down, she wanted the life she once had. Perhaps, just perhaps, he had learned that he would never escape and if he wanted to live, he would join her. She would make him her king. Yes, that was it. They would revive the shadow games together and rule the earth with the long claws of her monsters. Seto had become a hazard. A mere inconvience. There is always a time for the baby bird to leave the nest. Tonight she would jump from her safety and get rid of Seto. She would work alone, or with Yami. That was the only way it could be done. The sky and the setting was perfect for her to ask him. Yami was worn down physically, after the battle, and she had made sure that he hadn't aquired any food or water. Also, he had been living in darkness on cold floors where sleep was hardly nourishing. He would see the predeciment he was in, and in his weakness, would join her. And then all would be well.  
  
  
Meera made her way out of her room and down the hallway. It was an about two hours since the battle. Shoving a few groveling guards out of the way she strided quickly through the endless labyrinth of the temple until she came to Yami's cell. The grim, gray door was the only thing keeping him safe from her. Finally, with her magic swirling around her in an unseen heat, she ripped the stone from it's place and gazed upon her prey inside. He was sitting on the stone, dried blood on his face, glaring daggers at her from the floor. His hair was mussed up, and his clothes ripped in places. Meera smiled. The guards around her had backed up, for her magic could now be felt as if fire was scorching their hands and face. She was angry. Burning with hate, desire, and a thirst for power.   
  
  
But Yami wasn't frightened. As if he knew what was coming he braced himself for the impact of the fiery hand of magic which pulled him from the ground onto his feet. Then, like a leash, it made him follow her through the passageways, outside.  
  
***  
  
  
As soon as the cooling desert air hit him, Yami was refreshed. The beautiful sceen which unfurled before him was almost more than he could take, after being locked in a black room for days with no fresh air. It was almost the same as the feeling he had had when he first emerged from the Millenium Puzzle after countless years...  
  
  
The sun was nearly gone, but long finger-like rays were still clawing at the pink and orange sky, trying to hold on so that the sun would not slip away into the ground. There were no clouds and no stars just yet. But a faint outline of a white moon could be seen just northeast of the sun. The sand dunes stretched on for miles, gusts of cool wind blowing the yellowish grains through the air. There was no outline of a city. No buildings. Just desert. Miles and miles of it. Meera had brought him a few minutes away from the temple opening, to a large jutting rock which they had walked up. If he hadn't been forced to come out, it would have been a peaceful time. He had almost forgotten his hate for Meera when he had come out of the opening, and sceen the view from the top of this rock, but it still remained in the back of his head. Finally, she spoke. She was standing next to him, looking out. Her magic and her hate had died down as well.  
  
  
"Do you know why I brought you out here?"  
  
  
Her voice was softer, kinder. Yami felt instantly suspicious. The magical Egyptian setting had only been a temporary relief. Now he had to be on his toes again. As if a reminder that he was still a captive and still very much in danger, the cut on his face throbbed and made him cringe.   
  
  
"I don't know." A thought suddenly struck him, as well as a mixture of fear and sadness. Perhaps she had brought him out here to kill him?  
  
  
"Well, I'll tell you soon enough. But I supposed I should congratulate you. You fought well tonite. But that's what I expected."  
  
  
Yami became instantly irritated. Her cocky tone bore into his soul and he narrowed his dark eyes. The setting couldn't keep him calm.  
  
  
"Meera, I'm sick of this."  
  
  
The sorceress turned to him now, staring into his eyes with a hurt look. She reached out to stroke his cheek but he pulled away, immediately feeling her magic hold him from moving much farther.   
  
  
"Alright, I'll get to the point," she cooed, turning back to look out at the golden expanse. "Do you remember how it was when we were together? It was wonderful, Yami. I'm sure you remember. We used to sit for hours on your balcony and watch the clouds roll in front of the moon." She paused, as if trying to pull in lost bits of memory. "When I was revived my memory was still intact. But my first thoughts were to kill you. Now, I wish for you to join me." He gasped, taken aback by the ridiculous thought.   
  
  
"Meera, why would I-"  
  
  
"You are powerful, pharaoh. Mind, body and soul. And I need someone like you by my side. Seto is weak-willed. He changes his mind and plays with his thoughts. You are not like him. You want power, I can see it. And you could have it. Together we could restore the shadow games and you could rule like you once did."  
  
  
"But this is horrible. I never ruled with terror."  
  
  
"Well, if it gets the job done..." She smiled lustfully and this time succeded in taking his face in her slender hand. Her lips found their way to his wound which ran straight across his cheek and she ran them lightly over it. Yami drew in his breath sharply as his face grew extremely cold directly along the cut. She pulled away and then looked at her handi-work. The Game King ran an unsure hand along his cheek, feeling nothing but smooth skin. The wound had sealed and closed without a mark, and no pain remained.  
  
  
"Impressive. But I won't join you."  
  
  
"I didn't think you would." Meera waved her hand in the air, sighed and looked back out at the sands again. "Oh well. If you don't join me, I can rule the Shadow Games on my own. But of course, I need the items. I'll need Yugi."  
  
  
Yami narrowed his eyes. The look was venemous.  
  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
  
"I'll need Yugi." Meera didn't turn back to him. She simply smiled.  
  
  
"Don't you dare touch him."  
  
  
"I take what I want. I want the Puzzle. Yugi has it."  
  
  
"Don't TOUCH him."  
  
  
"Try and stop me." Meera turned around slowly and started to walk back towards her temple. Yami watched, his blood boiling and her magic nagging him along. She had gone too far. By threatening his Hikari, she had assured her fate.   
  
  
"I said, DON'T TOUCH HIM!  
  
  
Meera turned around, surprised by the outburst, just to see Yami running straight for her. She gasped as she was pushed off the edge of the rock outcropping, falling quickly. The sorceress hit the ground, HARD, which winded her. Losing her concentration, the magic lasso around Yami snapped and he jumped from the edge of the rock and landed nimbly on his feet. He knew that as soon as she regained her composure she could collect him with her magic again. And he couldn't let her ANYWHERE near Yugi. He had to escape. Had to find help. Had to get back to his Hikari, before she did.   
  
  
Willing his feet to move, he ran as quickly as he could through the shifting sands, never turning around. He didn't know where he was going, but he had to go. Anywhere.   
  
  
Meera groaned from the ground and looked up. How DARE he? She could see his thin form far ahead, running under the intense glint of the sun. The sorceress reached out with her magic, but he was too far ahead to grab. Swaying to her feet she concentrated all her magic on something.   
  
  
  
In it's cage, the Blue Eyes stirred. Something was pounding on the barriers of it's mind. A shrill voice. Shouting.   
  
  
The great dragon reared up and screeched, turning it's massive head from side to side, trying to shake out the annoyance. But it was getting stronger. A voice, in Ancient Egyptian. The chanting in the lizard's head was full of wrath. As it got louder, he could clearly understand what it said. "Kill the Pharaoh."  
  
  
With all it's strength behind it, the Blue Eyes roared and threw it's mighty body against the metal bars of the cage. Now mad with fury and willing to obey the command, the Blue Eyes ripped viciously at the bars with it's teeth, wrenching two of them out. The sound of bending metal alarmed all of the guards, which came running, just to see a gigantic dragon, FREE, in the room. The dragon had no interest in them. It had to obey it's command. Focusing on the doorway, the Blue Eyes roared and charged straight ahead. It knew how to get out.   
*  
  
  
Meera cackled. Yami had gotten far, but her dragon would finally take care of him.   
  
*  
  
  
Yami felt the sun beating on his back and his legs screaming at him to stop. He had used all of his little strength to run this far and it wasn't even far enough. She couldn't touch Yugi. Just COULDN'T. In frustration at himself he felt the tears come to his eyes as he realised he had no strength in reserve and fell to his knees. The hot sand scorched the palms of his hands as he tried to crawl further. Now his body was running on sheer determination as the tears fell. There was no surrender to Meera.  
  
**  
  
  
The dragon had neared the great entrance to the temple. Pulling back his head, willed by Meera, he shot a barrage of magical attacks at the stone until it rumbled and fell. The hot air from outside rushed in. Through the dust, the Blue Eyes emerged from the temple, into the desert, triumphant in freeing itself. Stretching it's massive wings in the hot sun, it took flight. Below it, Meera watched as the beast went to finish what she had started.  
  
**  
  
  
  
Yami heard the roaring and the beat of wings. Meera wasn't going to just LET him get away. Turning his blurry gaze towards the sky, he saw the dragon. Screaming out of pure anger he rammed his fist into the sand.   
  
  
  
The creature landed and the ground shuddered.  
  
  
  
  
Meera turned slowly back towards the temple,confident in Yami's defeat.  
"The tale of the Pharaoh comes to a close. Long live the king."  
**  
  
  
Blue Eyes stared down at it's prey, a deep, eerie growl emenating from it's throat. Yami stared back.   
  
**  
  
  
  
Yugi awoke with a start. It was early in the morning, but something had frightened him out of sleep. Closing his eyes he found the source of his fear. Something, or SOMEONE, was ripping at him. Trying, it seemed, to get his attention. He knew right away who it was. The puzzle glowed faintly. Yami needed him.   
**  
  
  
  
The Pharaoh watched, choking back a sob of fear and anger as the dragon's attack swelled in it's throat. It would soon, all be over. In silent defeat, he watched as the magical attack came right for him.  
  
**~*~**~*~**~*~*~*  
  
Muha! Cliffie!!! What will happen to Yami? Stay tuned to find out;-) Ja! 


	10. Out of Egypt

I'm bad. Very bad. Should throw rotten tomatoes at myself. I am very very very bad!! And very very very sorry, I kno I haven't updated in....FOREVER! But I'm here, finally:-/ Okay...I realize I left off on a cliffhanger so this chapter won't be one. Maybe the next. Maybe the one after that:-D Actually, this story may be wrapping up within 3 chapters...sry to everyone who wanted it longer! The only thing is, this chapter isn't extremely long because I didn't figure out how exactly I'm going to accomplish some things in the story...I have the ending all planned out but it's one little thing that's undecided yet....can't tell only because it would give away some of the plot and you'll just hafta wait for that:-D So enjoy this chappie, basically emotion-filled...please pardon the writing if it seems a little off, I haven't written fanfic in a bit...as you kno:-( Also, I'd like to thank my loyal fans, especially R Amythest for stickin around and given me that extra kick in the butt to get WRITING!  
Ok enough of my rambling...  
  
***  
  
  
The attack had come swiftly. Just as the wind sweeps away the sand in great gusts, the attack had swept away Yami. His body was no more. The Blue Eyes had disappeared as soon as it had come, it had flown back to it's home in the underground temple under Meera's command. She now stood staring out at the crater where the Pharaoh had once been. Her smirk had faded into an emotionless stare, she turned on her heel and headed back to her temple. It had to be done. It was over with.  
*  
  
Yugi sat on his bed, unseeing violet eyes fixed on the sheets pooled around his legs, shining tears forming. Something was terribly wrong.  
  
  
Just then, Yugi gasped, for a force seemed to have rushed back into him, the air entered his lungs sharply and his body tingled all over. Immediately he went blank and let his mind drift into his soulroom. The puzzle, which he always wore around his neck now, even while resting, was glowing brightly and nearly humming.   
**  
  
Meera entered Kaiba's chamber and her smoldering eyes found him sitting at the desk. Kaiba looked up, shutting his cell phone with a click. He shifted in his chair expectantly, waiting for whatever news she had.   
  
  
"Well?" he asked, after about a minute.   
  
  
"It's over with."   
  
  
"What's over?" asked the brunette, confused. Meera's mouth twitched a little and Kaiba noticed that there was sand in her frazzled hair and her robe was dirtied.   
  
  
"Where did you go?"  
  
  
"The desert."  
  
  
"For what?"  
  
  
"I got it over with."  
  
  
Kaiba thought about this for a second before all the words fell into place. The shock hit him like a hurricane wind and his mouth fell open slightly. Eyes now the size of saucers, he leaned forward, dread setting over him as she nodded.  
  
  
"You didn't!"  
  
  
She snorted.  
  
  
"Meera! How could you? How did you?"  
  
  
The sorceress laughed, sharp and bitter. "Oh please! You supported me! He was getting *unruly* and...and...besides, I thought you were on my side. Why the change of heart, Seto?"  
  
  
Kaiba nearly fell over in his chair. She had gone through with what he thought was impossible and now she was trying to justify it as *fair* in her eyes! Standing up, the anger bubbling, he shouted with all his strength.  
  
  
"I won't let you hurt anyone else!"   
  
  
The billionare knew that the only way to stop the madness would be to stop Meera. She had been resurrected into a card. If he destroyed it, she was gone. And he knew exactly where it was. He darted for the door.  
  
  
In a flash of black and red, Meera was in front of Seto. He stifled a yelp as she help him firmly by the arm with icy fingers.  
  
  
"Don't try it."  
  
  
He growled and tried to pull away but her grip seemed impossibly strong and he was barely able to move an inch.  
  
  
"Meera-stop!"  
  
  
She smiled, and this time, Seto could see through her. Before, when she had smiled, he had been fooled. He had thought she was just misguided, lost, confused. Now he realized that she really was all that Yami had said she was.  
  
  
"You won't be going anywhere, *Seto,*" she spat, and he felt the end at hand.  
  
**  
  
  
His soul room was untouched, the toys scattered here and there, the wallpaper cheery and bright as usual. Yugi had just entered and was looking for the sudden disturbance. Peering out of his room, he saw the door to Yami's soulroom, which was made of stone and was dark and uninviting. The small hikari sighed. He had neglected his soul room ever since Yami had gone missing, for it was too painful of a reminder. He had only gone in it if it was necessary, such as now. He had never gone in Yami's. But maybe it wouldn't hurt, just to peek now, would it? Maybe he could find some clues.  
  
  
Yugi had always deeply respected his dark and respecting him meant respecting his personal space. He never went in Yami's room, even when he was around, unless he was invited. You just don't go barging into someone's mind. But it really couldn't hurt now...  
  
  
The short teen hopped off the bed and set a grimace on his face, walking out of the room and nearing the door of his dark's. Touching the cold stone sent a shiver up his spine and he slowly pushed it open. Inside, it was as black as pitch. It took a few seconds for Yugi's eyes to adjust before he could clearly see the labyrinths and staircases before him. Where would he begin? It seemed as if every way lead to more twists and turns which would lead to more twists and turns...  
  
  
It was pointless. Yugi turned on his heel to leave and set his eyes on the ground.   
  
  
Just as he neared the door, he heard a shuffle behind him, to his left...in the shadows.  
  
  
His eyes widening, he turned around and squinted into the darkness, where a shape was draped across a hidden flight of stairs, going down.  
  
  
"H-hello?"  
  
  
He had heard about other spirits entering Millenium Items. If he remembered correctly, Bakura had entered the puzzle once to make Yami mad. Or something along those lines.   
  
  
Staying on his guard, Yugi stepped forward and spoke with more determination.  
  
  
"Who are you? Why are you in my Yami's soulroom?"  
  
  
No one replied. Yugi got a little bit closer before starting to speak again.  
  
  
"I swear-I'll fight-"  
  
  
A croaking voice sounded from the hidden staircase and made Yugi jump.  
  
  
"Help..."  
  
  
The hikari recognized the voice and ran towards it's source.  
  
  
"Yami!"  
  
  
The dark was lying crumpled on the flight of stairs which spiraled downwards into an unknown chasm below. Yugi ignored the prickling feeling of fear around him, squinted his eyes and knelt down beside his other half. From here it was impossible to see what sort of condition Yami was in, but Yugi was sure it wasn't healthy. That last word must have used all his strength...  
  
  
Yugi pushed the urge to cry back into his throat and picked up the dark under his arms. Yami was completely limp and it made him very difficult to carry. Yugi's blood pounded in his ears with a deafening roar and the panic which was rising threatened to eat him alive.   
  
  
/Where did he come from? How is this happening?/   
  
  
Yugi hadn't realized that he had sent that last thought through his link but apparently he had, for he heard a faint 'whisper' from the other end of the bond.  
//I-I don't know...please help me Yugi...//  
  
  
Avoiding hitting his yami's head on the stone steps, Yugi gently lifted him off the stairwell and started to drag him from the soulroom. He cursed his weak frame for not being able to carry him, for the dragging certainly wasn't doing any good.  
  
  
Finally they were in Yugi's soulroom and the small teen managed to pull Yami up onto his bed after clearing away a pile of toys with the back of his hand. Now, in the light, Yugi truly saw the mess that Yami was. Even though this was a 'soulroom,' Yugi could clearly see the wounds that would have appeared on him in real life.  
  
  
His face was shadowed by both exhaustion and ash, his hair also touched with the black powder...singed in a multiple places and not nearly as bright or neat as it usually was...  
  
  
His clothes were worn and tattered and looked as if they had faded a few shades in color. His body was in worse condition; he had dropped a few pounds, gained a few cuts and his face was as pale as Yugi had ever seen it. A line of dried blood ran from his mouth and arm. He was no longer a stunning Egyptian prince but a broken spirit.  
  
  
Yugi watched the rise and fall of his chest, his breathing was relatively irregular and this worried the light the most. Putting a shaky hand to his dark's forehead, he waited for his eyes to open. He needed a sign that he would be OK.   
  
  
After a short delay, Yami blinked and finally opened up his crimson eyes. They were indeed crimson, not amythest like they were before he went missing. Crimson struck Yugi as a harsher color...more passionate and more dangerous? than the friendly amythest. But besides this color change, his eyes were very different. They were dull, misted over, and black circles had made an appearance under them. What had Yami gone through?  
  
  
/Yami, listen...you have to get out of the soulroom. It's the only way I can help you heal. You need water and food and.../  
  
  
//It's impossible.// The voice, even though it was through the bond, sounded defeated.  
  
  
/Why? Just materialize. It won't take too much strength. Trust me-/  
  
  
//No, it's impossible. Yugi...I can't explain it all to you now. Nothing would make sense. I just can't materialize...I tried. I think the puzzle will heal me. Don't waste your breath trying to help.//  
  
  
Yugi didn't like it. He wanted, *badly* to know what had happened but pressing wouldn't do any good. Yami was right. Yugi couldn't help, he could only get him cleaned up. The puzzle would do the real healing. He had forgotten about that...but why couldn't he materialize?  
  
  
/Alright, but I'm staying. When you're ready you can tell me what happened./  
  
  
//I still can't believe this...I don't understand how I'm here...//  
  
  
The hikari took Yami's hand in his and squeezed gently.  
  
  
"You're back. Who cares how you got here. You're back."  
  
  
***  
  
  
"You can't do this to me!" shouted Seto, pounding on the stone door of his cell. "I helped you! Let me out!"  
  
  
The guards, stony faced and gruff, stood on both sides of the door and just stared into space. Kaiba swore until he was out of breath, continually hitting the door. Soon, his fist started to ache and he backed away, pacing the room.   
  
  
"What have I gotten myself into?" he mused, placing trembling hands in his pockets to find that he had nothing in them. No cell phone, no food, and most importantly...no escape.   
  
  
Meera, that traitor, had locked him in the same cell where Yami had stayed. He was her's now. There was no telling when she would let him out but evidently she was carrying out a plan on her own.  
  
  
Hapsheti, her servant, was to help her. Sitting in her small chamber, the young girl wept. Meera had told her of the Pharaoh's death about an hour ago, with no remorse or pity and had left, simply saying 'We begin soon. Get the dragons ready.' The young girl had cared for the Pharaoh and now he was-   
  
  
Rage swept through Hapsheti and her body trembled with it. What Meera was doing was unthinkable. Tears dropped quickly and the young girl balled her fists in defeat. It wasn't fair. No matter how much she wanted to disagree with the sorceress, she couldn't. Meera could snatch her life from her in an instant if she recognized even a hint of insubordination.   
  
  
She clutched at the gold ball around her neck. Then, with saddened grace, she stood up and made her way to the dragons' cages.  
****  
  
  
  
"This feels so strange."  
  
  
It was four hours later, propped up on Yugi's soul room bed, that Yami had noticed an odd tingling sensation in his fingers.  
  
  
Yugi was sitting across from him, legs folded. He still couldn't believe that Yami had recovered *this* quickly and was able to see straight in such a short amount of time. Yugi had left the soul room (when he was sleeping) for about 30 minutes and when he had returned Yami was sitting up, inspecting himself. Most of the cuts had closed and the puzzle was healing him quite rapidly, maybe a little *too* rapidly. He had only slept about two and a half hours but even this short amount of time and recooperation had done him wonders. This was all excellent, but the one thing that Yugi wished for was that Yami would tell him, *soon* what had happened.  
  
  
As of now, the Pharoah was in an excellent mood. Being gone for many days and nearly chewed by multiple monsters, plus vaporized by a dragon can take a lot out of you. Coming home to Yugi was a *very* welcome surprise and now Yami was in high spirits. But Yugi was a little worried- you can't recover *mentally* that quickly.  
  
  
Looking up to his dark, Yugi twirled his bangs around a finger and then asked tiredly, "what feels strange?"  
  
  
Yami rubbed his hands together and then looked at his palms.   
  
  
"My hands, actually, my *arms* feel extremely weird. This is usually how they feel when I use magic of any sort...but this feeling is just a lot stronger and more, *electric,* I guess. "  
  
  
"Oh."  
  
  
The Pharaoh shrugged, stretched quickly, (wincing slightly) and then slowly got off the bed. Yugi mused silently, 'where did all this energy come from? Just a few hours ago he was near-unconscience on a flight of stairs.'  
  
  
Gazing into a small mirror above the light's patterned bureau, Yami wiped some of the ash off his face and frowned as he looked at his hair. Noticing the blood on his lip he licked it away with a grimace and then rubbed his eyes.  
  
  
"I look like crap."  
  
  
Yugi's violet orbs watched him intently. Yami continued to preen himself.  
  
  
The hikari waited a second or two and then cleared his throat. Straightening up, he asked lightly, "so, are you going to tell me?"  
  
  
"Tell?" Yami turned around slowly and his eyes were wide in question.  
  
  
'Oh great. Now he's playing dumb.' Yugi sighed. His mind was strained with worry and waiting and he was getting impatient.  
  
  
"Yes, *tell.* I've been waiting for you to be well enough to fill me in on what...on what...happened."  
  
  
Yami's bright countenance darkened a few shades and he narrowed his eyes. The crimson color which had leaked out while he was sleeping was returning slowly to them. Turning back to the mirror to rub at a stubborn bit of ash, he spoke sternly.  
  
  
"I don't think I want to relive it just yet."  
  
  
"Yami..."  
  
  
"What?"  
  
  
"Tell me. You have to."  
  
  
"I don't *have* to."  
  
  
"It'll be better to get it all out now. Even if it is hard to explain."  
  
  
"More than you know."  
  
  
"Well, in any case, it's not healthy for you to just forget about it. Maybe if I know what happened...I can help you..."  
  
  
"With what?"  
  
  
"Well, for one thing, you can't materialize."  
  
  
Yami scowled into the mirror. His reflection scowled back. Flicking absent-mindedly at an obnoxious strand of hair, he turned back to face his Hikari.   
  
  
"Fine...I'll tell you."  
  
  
"Thank you!"  
  
  
"Just not now."  
  
  
"When?"  
  
  
"After I sort some things out with myself."  
  
  
Yugi sighed and stood up.   
  
  
"Alright. I'm leaving for now and I'll come back in about an hour. Everyone is gonna be so happy to hear that you're back. We all missed you so much..."  
  
  
A thin smile played over Yami's lips and he spoke from deep within, softly. "Thanks Yugi. You don't know how good it feels to be back with people who care."  
  
  
Yugi returned the smile and left the soul room.  
  
**  
That's all folks!! But the series is not over yet, there's still the matter of Kaiba being locked away, Meera having many deadly dragons at her command...Yami's arms tingling...etc etc  
So stick around!  
-Ja  
  
* 


End file.
